A Midwest Gardener's Cookbook

Divided into four parts corresponding to seasonal harvest times, Towne's book reminds readers that knowledge of seasonal cooking was not invented in California. Towne (Bread of Life) offers recipes for 94 fruits, vegetables and herbs. Sprinkled throughout are prefaces about each fruit or vegetable. Towne's hints for gardening, shopping and storing often make good horticultural sense and display a homey ingenuity: nasturtiums should be planted near tomatoes; vidalias can be stored in pantyhose in the basement. Among the best recipes are Fresh Apple Fritters and Grape Sauce for Fowl. Cream, sour cream, cheddar and, occasionally, Velveeta (one wonders what the natural season for that is) are used liberally. Although the book is well-organized and offers interesting gardening facts (including a section on starting seedlings), recipes like the prosaic Rhubarb-Strawberry Molded Salad and Curried Creamed Radishes are unlikely to inspire readers to reorganize their gardens. (Apr.)