His Vegetable Patch News Today

Cookbooks are more than collections of recipes. They also tell the stories of the people and places behind the dishes.

Meredith Miotke Chefs rarely follow recipes, but many of them find plenty to savor in cookbooks, nonetheless. They read for inspiration, education, context and community. They earmark pages that reveal fresh approaches to technique. They scribble down notes of promising flavor combinations. We asked three chefs, one cookbook author and one plant nursery owner to share the cookbook...

Warm flat bread such as pita, to serve Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).  Wipe the eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise. Pour a thin layer of olive oil into a baking pan and place the eggplants, cut side down, in the oil. Bake until soft and squishy, about forty minutes.  To make the cucumber yogurt, wipe the cucumber half and grate coarsely. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside in a colander fo...