Fearnley-Whittingstall Hugh - River Cottage Much More Veg

For Louisa, who loves raw peas and carrots, and quite likes cooked cabbage and spinach.

Following the recipes

All spoon measures are level unless otherwise stated:

1 tsp = 5ml spoon;

1 tbsp = 15ml spoon.

All herbs are fresh unless otherwise suggested.

Use freshly ground black pepper unless otherwise listed.

All fruit and veg should be washed before you start cooking. Choose organic fruit and veg where possible.

If using the zest of citrus fruit, choose unwaxed fruit.

Oven timings are provided in the recipes for both conventional and fan-assisted ovens. These are intended as guidelines, with a description of the desired final colour or texture of the dish as a further guide. Individual ovens can deviate by 10C or more either way from the actual setting, so its important to get to know your oven and to use an oven thermometer to check the temperature.

For vegans The recipes in this book are vegan, but always check that any prepared or processed ingredients you buy such as sugar, stock cubes, wine, sauces, condiments, curry paste, fruit juice and vinegar are suitable for vegans. Some brands may contain animal products or animal products may have been used during their manufacture but there are always alternatives. Online suppliers such as planetorganic.com and healthysupplies.co.uk stock many vegan products. For guidance on choosing animal-free ingredients, contact vegansociety.com.

For coeliacs/those avoiding gluten Barley and spelt contain gluten, so the recipes with these ingredients are not suitable. When you are buying naturally gluten-free grains, such as rice and oats, as well as prepared and processed products such as sauces, condiments, stock cubes and seasonings, always check that they are guaranteed gluten-free, as some may contain traces of gluten (justnatural.co.ukstock certified gluten-free grains). For general advice and guidance on choosing gluten-free ingredients, contact coeliac.org.uk.

THIS IS THE SECOND book I have written with the pleasingly simple aim of making vegetables delicious irresistibly, satisfyingly so. I want to do this so that you eat more of them; more of the ones you already love, and more of those youre not quite sure about yet. My mission is to increase your veg consumption, and expand your veg horizons, to the absolute maximum. I think it should be fairly obvious why this is a good idea. But I do like an opportunity to be vocal on the topic, so here goes

If I were to choose just one thing we could all do in order to be healthier and feel more energised, to have a better relationship with food and with our environment, it would be this: eat more veg.

This is true for all of us, which is why this book is for omnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike. Whoever we are and however we choose to eat, it is without doubt a very good idea to make vibrant, nutritious plant foods the basis of our diets.

These foods are incontrovertibly beneficial to our health: full of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre and complex carbs that genuinely nourish us. Just as importantly, the more lovely fresh veg we eat in both quantity and variety the less space there is in our diets for other foods which are, shall we say, of more questionable value or certainly less unequivocally virtuous! In particular, we can start to nudge out some of those knee-jerk empty carbs the gap-filling bread and biccies that so often get us through the day.

More veg is good for the planet too: simple and inexpensive to produce, and vastly less demanding of energy and resources than animal-based foods. And if we eat more veg, we can also eat less meat and fish or none at all, if we choose. As many of you know, I do eat both (discerningly, I hope, with the welfare of our farm animals, and the environment, in mind). But youll find none of either in these pages. I want this book to be wholly inclusive. And I think vegetables should be the most inclusive foods we eat a bounty for all. Ive been making a conscious effort for some years now to shift towards a veg-centric way of eating and the recipes here are a testament to that exciting, satisfying culinary adventure.

Im pretty sure most of us know that we should be consuming more vegetables (and fruits), so why arent we? Perhaps its because our culinary culture has not been particularly kind to veg. Weve long eaten them, of course, but not often in the colourful, creative, respectful ways that other cuisines have come up with. Theres been too much boiling going on: so many of us grew up viewing vegetables as something plain on the side of the plate, hidden under the gravy. Thats no way to learn how exciting veg can be!

For much of my (semi-) professional cooking career, I also put veg mainly on the side, allowing well-chosen meat and fish to dominate my culinary thinking. I certainly wasnt a veg-dodger. But I had my favourites raw peas from the pod, simply buttered greens, roast parsnips, barbecued courgettes and spring onions and I didnt seek to ring the changes with any great conviction.

But as I began to grow more veg of my own at River Cottage, and dabble in a more worldly (often Asian-inspired) way with vegetables, I began to realise that I was hugely underestimating the power of veg to deliver pleasure as well as goodness to me and my family. That was when I decided that a stint as vegetarian might do me and my kitchen repertoire some good. It was transformative. River Cottage Veg Every Day the book and the TV series was the result of that experiment. And in many ways this book is too.

The way that I cook has been recalibrated, forever. Vegetables are now the major force in my kitchen. They are my first port of call when tummies are rumbling. And Ive taught myself a fair bit about how to make veg taste great, without too much kitchen faff. Now I want to share what Ive learned with you. And so Ive packed these pages with easy, appetising recipes that will take your enjoyment of veg to a whole new level.

I begin, all guns blazing, with two chapters of the kind of belly-filling veg-based main courses that ensure you wont miss the meat (or the fish, dairy, pasta or bread). These recipes use the saucepan, the frying pan and roasting tray to bring the very best out of veg. Augmented with grains, nuts and pulses, spiked with spices, herbs and aromatics, these are easy, hot, filling veg dishes that feel complete and substantial.

Next youll find pages rammed with big veg tray-roasts, hearty, healthy salads and beautiful, satisfying soups, followed by one of my favourite parts of the whole book a chapter of easy and delicious ways to pack in a daily dose of completely raw veg. What better, easier way could there be to boost ones healthy eating credentials? These lovely dishes raw veg sliced, slivered, grated, pulsed and pured represent the freshest of quick fixes. They are easily incorporated into, or added on to, your usual daily fare a shot of raw goodness that ranks way better than popping vitamin pills.