The CSA Cookbook: Preorder It Now!

Whoa, what just happened here? A few weeks ago, I revealed the cover (and the making) of my forthcoming book, The CSA Cookbook. (This is the final one going to print!) And today… I am stoked and so. fired. up. (!!!) to announce the book is finally available for preorder!

Sometimes it feels like I simply cannot wait another day for the book to be released (and by the sounds of all your awesome messages, neither can you), so we’re making it possible for you to reserve your copy early!

The CSA Cookbook (Voyageur Press, 2015) will officially release on March 1, 2015, but you can preorder your copy now (like, right now) and have it land in your mailbox before you know it! Booooom!

Most preorders arrive a week or two earlier than the release date, plus the book is also offered at the best price before it’s published, so preorders are a win-win!

You can preorder The CSA Cookbook wherever books are sold. Here are a few online sources:

• Amazon (USA, Canada, UK)
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-A-Million
• IndieBound
• Powell’s Books
• Indigo (Canada)
• Book Depository (international orders with free shipping!)

Preorder Special!

I am making personalized copies of The CSA Cookbook available to anyone who preorders through my neighborhood bookshop, The Book Frog. You can have the book signed to yourself or to a friend, and include a special message with it! They will ship anywhere in the world! (Shipping costs will vary.)

Call The Book Frog at (424) 263-5344 (you can find their hours here) or send them a message through their Facebook page. Simply tell them the name you’d like your book signed to and your personal inscription, if desired. Rebecca Glenn, the owner, will happily take care of you! (And most days, you’ll actually be talking with Rebecca herself, which is part of the charm of small bookstores.)

Even if you don’t preorder a personalized copy from The Book Frog, I still encourage you to support your local independent bookseller whenever possible.

Why Should You Preorder?

In the book world, preorders are not just about claiming a copy for yourself. They’re an important part of the book process and one of the most powerful ways you can show some love for your favorite author.

Strong preorder sales encourage more booksellers to carry the book, expand the number of cities an author may be able to visit on a book tour, and increase the chances of the author writing another book. Preorders help the publisher gauge how many more books to order for a second or even a third printing — and this is all before the book is actually released, making it a big deal for all involved, especially first-time authors!

So if The CSA Cookbook would be a useful addition to your bookshelf or make a great gift for someone you know, please consider preordering a copy, or even just forwarding this post to a friend. Your support would truly make my year!

Don’t forget to save your receipt after you place your preorder, as I’ll be cooking up something special in the coming weeks!

So, What’s This Book About?

The CSA Cookbook is the book I wish I had when I started growing my own food. It’s a guide for not only CSA members, but also edible gardeners, farmers’ market enthusiasts, and people who appreciate real food, fresh from the earth. Think of it as nose-to-tail cooking, but for vegetables!

In the book, I show you how to make the most of your vegetables with as little waste as possible. You’ll no longer throw out kale stems or carrot tops because you didn’t know what to do with them — and you’ll be surprised to learn just how much of the plants you grow in your garden are actually edible, from tomato leaves to squash vines. I cover the most common produce (like green broccoli) to lesser-known varieties (like yardlong beans). And I don’t require any obscure spices, seeds, or flours, or anything typical of “health food” these days. This is approachable, down-home cooking that’s good for you.

When does it come out? March 1, 2015

How many photos are there? Over 150, including a photo for every recipe

How many recipes are included? 105

Have the recipes appeared on Garden Betty already? I’ve included a few reader favorites from my blog (retested and reshot exclusively for the book, like my Spicy Minty Tomato Sauce Infused With Tomato Leaves), but most of the recipes in The CSA Cookbook are brand new and never before published. Soups, salads, mains, sides, and condiments all appear in the book, with many inspired by my childhood and my travels.

Is this a vegetarian cookbook? The CSA Cookbook is a seasonal plant-based cookbook, meaning vegetables are the star of the meal, but a handful of recipes do include meat. There are also vegan and gluten-free options, but I don’t emphasize these diets as the aim of the book is to explore all the delicious possibilities of fresh, whole food. I try to include a range of recipes for every taste (so a short rib stew filled with fresh fall vegetables can be found alongside vegetarian curry), and offer several ways to use a single vegetable (whether I pickle it, cook it, or keep it raw).

Besides recipes, what else is in the book? The beginning of the book is dedicated to basics: stocking your pantry and kitchen with essential ingredients and tools, storing your produce for maximum freshness, making vegetable stock out of scraps, and turning all things green into pesto. I also share the story of how I grew up (and how I ate) and my journey to becoming Garden Betty. For those living in smaller locales, you’ll find resources in the back of the book for ingredients your supermarket might not stock (though I strived to make the recipes as accessible as possible to people all over).

In all, this is the book that I couldn’t find anywhere, and so I wrote it. It’s filled with all the insights I’ve gleaned from growing hundreds of vegetables in my garden and making thousands of meals in my modest kitchen. It’s both a recipe book and a resource, and I hope it’ll find a permanent place on your kitchen counter, lovingly smeared in grease and stained with sauce.

I am infinitely proud of the final product and cannot wait to share it with you!

It’s because of the Garden Betty community (my readers, followers, friends near and far) that I was given this opportunity, and I thank you a million times over for all the comments and sweet words of encouragement. They are one of the greatest joys of writing this blog.

Heaps of love, y’all.

More coverage of The CSA Cookbook:

• The Making of a Cookbook: The Cover Shot
• The CSA Cookbook: Preorder It Now!
• What Is CSA? (And Why I Wrote a Cookbook For It)
• Preorder Bonus for the CSA Cookbook!
• The CSA Cookbook Is Coming Soon! A Peek Inside Its Pages