A big, ripe cornucopia of a book by gardeners who cook and cooks who garden, Smith & Hawken The Gardeners' Community Cookbook celebrates both the Smith & Hawken gardening community and Second Harvest, the largest charitable hunger relief organization in the United States. Over 300 contributors from all 50 states share the fruit and vegetables of their labors--the secrets of their tomatoes and their tomato sauce. There are herb growers. Patio gardeners. Farmers. And famous chef/gardeners and writers, such as Deborah Madison, Alice Waters, Barbara Kafka, Ken Hom, Paula Wolfert, Thomas Keller, and Barbara Damrosch, who forces Belgian endive in buckets under the kitchen sink during bitter Maine winters. And what they offer are over 400 recipes that give a cross section of creative American garden cooking. Here are garden-to-table dishes: Spinach and Strawberry Salad; Mexican Bruschetta. Seasonal inspirations: Curried Zucchini Soup; Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo; Asparagus Mushroom Flan. Prime pickings: Chicken and Chives; New Mexico Chard Enchiladas. And harvest put-ups: Green Tomato Chutney; Sweet Red Bell Pepper Pickle. Compiled and written by Victoria Wise, this is the cookbook to meet like-minded neighbors and friends you never knew you had, exchanging ideas and recipes just for the pleasure of it. Good cooking comes from good growing. Good growing comes from loving the earth. And good dishes come from watching your pot as you do your plot. With this simple credo, the hundreds of gardener cooks whose work, stories, and wisdom are featured draw a fresh and delicious line from seed to table, inviting us all to enjoy the result. A big, overflowing cornucopia of a book, Smith & Hawken Gardeners' Community Cookbook is a celebration of food by people who are passionate about it--like Rose Ann Koffler, a patio container gardener in West Hollywood, CA, with a penchant for herbs; Deborah Madison, who has redefined vegetarian cooking, even though her Santa Fe garden isn't large enough to grow "rambling vegetables"; Carol Cassedy, owner of the Whitestone Organic Farm in Bagdad, Kentucky, famous for its heirloom vegetables; and award-winning garden writer Barbara Damrosch, who forces Belgian endive in buckets under the kitchen sink during bitter Maine winters. Joined together as a community through the Smith & Hawken ethic that working the soil is a life-enhancing pursuit, more than 300 contributors share the fruit and vegetables of their labors--the secrets of their tomatoes and their tomato sauce. Here are garden-to-table creations like Spinach and Strawberry Salad. Seasonal inspirations: Curried Zucchini Soup, Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo. Prime pickings: Flatiron Pot Roast with Pearl Onions, and Fava Beans with Chicken and Chives. And harvest put-ups: Green Tomato Chutney, Sweet Red Bell Pepper Pickle. In all, more than 400 recipes that give a cross section of creative American garden cooking. Victoria Wise was the first chef at Chez Panisse and went on to become chef/owner of Berkeley’s Pig-by-the-Tail and co-owner with Susanna Hoffman of Oakland’s Good & Plenty Café. Her most recent Workman book was The Smith & Hawken Gardeners’ Community Cookbook . She lives in Oakland, California. Sherried Mushroom Cheese Pate Flavored with a good sherry, a handful of fresh herbs, and a mix of plain and fancy mushrooms, ordinary cream cheese becomes sumptuous. Shaped in a mold and presented unmolded, it becomes fancy enough to be called pate. --Cathy Garner (Cordova, TN) 2 tablespoons butter 1 pound fresh mushrooms, preferably a combination of fancy mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed, and thinly sliced 2 small cloves garlic, minced 8 ounces quality cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup medium dry sherry, such as Amontillado 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram leaves 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves 1 teaspoon black pepper Salt Fresh herb sprigs, for garnish Assorted crackers 1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. 2. Line a 2- to 3-cup mold with plastic wrap. Set aside. 3. Transfer the mushrooms and garlic to a food processor. Add the cream cheese, sherry, chopped tarragon, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and the pepper and blend until smooth. Blend in salt to taste and scoop the mixture into the lined mold. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well set, at least overnight. 4. When ready to serve, peel the plastic wrap cover off the top of the mold. Invert the mold onto a serving plate, prodding it a bit to loosen and release it onto the plate. Peel away the plastic wrap lining. Garnish the plate with herb sprigs and serve, accompanied by a basket of assorted crackers. Makes about 2 cups. Red Root Salad (Serves 4 to 6) "Out of respect for their ability to rui