100 Vegetables and Where They Came From.

By William Woys Weaver and Illustrated by Signe Sundberg-Hall

Vegetarians are great consumers of vegetables, but have you ever wondered about the history of some exotic vegetables you have purchased? Weaver, an organic gardener, mixes history, culinary suggestions, practical information, and personal anecdotes to review 100 of the most irresistible vegetables. Line illustrations are also included.

Unfortunately, some of the culinary suggestions given are not vegetarian; however, vegetarians will find much of the other information quite interesting and useful. For example, Violetto Artichoke is the last variety of Italian artichokes to be harvested each year and, as the name suggests, they are purple in color. These artichokes are considered to be the best because they are small and tender. They can be eaten raw in salads. Note that the color does not affect the flavor, and in fact, the color cooks out when you heat them up.

100 Vegetables and Where They Came From (ISBN 1-56512-238-0) is published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Look for this book in a library or bookstore.