The California Farm to Table Cookbook: 100 Recipes from the Golden State

In this excellent insider’s tour of California’s farming scene, Rice (Beer Bread) introduces home cooks to the benefits of local ingredients, from avocados and figs to walnuts and Dungeness crab. The straightforward recipes—some author-created, others collected from the state’s farmers—are organized by origin in sections titled “From the Soil,” “From the Trees,” “From the Pasture,” and “From the Water.” The final chapter, “At the Table,” which features special occasion menus, rounds out the book’s 100 offerings. Of particular note are a tempting crème fraîche-slicked pistachio flatbread with red grapes and a creamy herby duck egg salad. Other savory dishes include garlicky roasted purple cauliflower and cracked Dungeness crab with garlic sea salt and aleppo pepper, while tempting dessert offerings include the jammy “Grandma Elsie’s World-Famous Persimmon Cookies” and goat cheese ice cream sandwiches between brown butter cookies. Throughout, Rice showcases her deep knowledge of California’s farming community, most evident in her vibrant grower profiles: she describes how George and Joseph Tudor’s desert ranch cultivates Medjool dates and how Brown Girl Farms employs African growing techniques to harvest Black heritage crops like purple tree collards. Farmers’ contact information helps out-of-staters purchase ingredients. Winters proves an expert guide for anyone looking to explore the bounty of the Golden State. (June)