About.com Rating
From the dusty olive green cover with its hand-drawn homemade look and matte finish to the clever title; it's unambiguously clear that this is a book about 'green' cooking. But don't let that put you off. De Groene Garde is far from being preachy and boring. The authors have managed to pull together a very useful cookbook that's sure to inspire home cooks to embrace more sustainable food choices, and judging by the recipes on offer, more delicious ones, too.
A 'Green' Initiative
It's heartening to know that the three women who dreamed up the concept of this cookbook have solid credentials in the field of sustainability, and have not just jumped on the latest bandwagon. Leontien Aarnoudse has been active in the nonprofit world since 2004. She first became interested in 'fair food' during her time at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Bolivia. Anouk Wentink works as a management consultant in the field of corporate social responsibility at PwC. And, Ellen Vereijken runs her own business, OAK sustainability concepts, specialized in sustainability communications for the business world and civil society- and governmental organizations.
The Story Behind the Food on Our Plates
According to the press release, the book is a 'journey of discovery to the very roots of our food'. It's a journey that goes further than merely our taste buds, apparently, to the origins of what we eat. The book aims to tell the story behind the food on our plates by offering answers to questions such as 'Where does our food come from?', 'How was it produced?', and 'What is the impact on humans and the environment?' If it all sounds a bit heavy to digest, rest assured, the book isn't quite that dry, thankfully.
The authors' genuine passion for the topic shine through, because 'De Groene Garde' manages to simultaneously educate and delight with 101 tips for sustainable eating, 100 enticing seasonal recipes, 9 background stories about the impact of food on people and the environment and interviews with 8 locals who have done pioneering work in the field of sustainability.
Cheeky Title
De Groene Garde is a word play in Dutch, meaning 'the green whisk' or 'the green guard'. The subtitle, too, works on two levels. Over (h)eerlijk eten' means 'about/more than delicious food' and 'about honest food'. The authors' sustainable food philosophy stands for quality ingredients that are in season, 'honest' (fair trade) and fresh (unprocessed). They make a case for fewer meat-based meals (some 80% of the recipes are vegetarian) and 'good' (i.e. sustainable) fish. They advocate cooking with healthy, local produce, such as 'forgotten' vegetables. And, they celebrate the pure flavors of home cooking and the joys of using up leftovers to combat unnecessary waste.
'Green' Food Never Looked So Good
We consider ourselves to be fairly 'green'. We recycle, cook from scratch and buy organic, local and seasonal ingredients whenever we can. But we're very well aware that many of our friends and family (and, presumably, many of our readers) are still quite skeptical about sustainability, especially where it comes to what they put on their plates. What we particularly like about this cookbook, then, is that it's realistic about taking baby steps in the right direction, changing daily habits one by one, recipe by recipe. Because, as the authors so rightly point out, most consumers buy (and cook) the same things over and over. Even the smallest changes can have a huge effect over time.
Interesting Interviews & Information
The book includes interviews with pioneers of sustainability in the Netherlands. Interviewees include the founder of the Youth Food Movement (part of Slow Food Netherlands), Samuel Levie, Gert-Jan Hageman of Amsterdam's De Kas restaurant, which has long been known for its local, seasonal approach to cooking, and Rotterdam-based 'vegetarian butcher' Jaap Korteweg.
Interesting background stories lift the veil on the 'the truth behind food waste', show the way in the 'maize of good intentions' of certification labels and trademarks, tell the story behind the fair trade movement which, incidentally, started in the Netherlands, and highlights the impact of the meat industry on people, animals and the environment. Luckily, the book doesn't only touch on the very real problems in the food industry, but also offers practical solutions and what-to-do's.
100 Enticing Recipes
The 100 recipes in the book have been evenly divided between the seasons. There are recipes such as cold avocado soup with lobster from Oosterschelde and rhubarb compote with caramelized coconut foam for spring, and fig pie with sweet potatoes and cheese (pictured on the cover) and roast sea bass with bell peppers, tomatoes and saffron sauce for summer. Fall recipes include mackerel ceviche and portobello mushrooms stuffed with fennel stamppot, while winter brings pearl barley risotto with crispy black salsify and chocolate-beet cake.
Conveniently, there are icons to indicate whether recipes are vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free, and an indication is given of the difficulty level and prep time for each recipe. The authors also provide tips on what to do with leftovers. The photography is mouthwatering, and the design and layout clean, clear and beautiful. This is a book that invites you to spend hours reading and cooking from it.
Try a Recipe from the Book:
Practical Publication Details
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.