Produce – Lynne Mullins

A Book Review by Franz Scheurer

It took me a little while to get hold of this book and a while longer to do it justice.

Produce opens with a page of terrific comparative charts of measures, temperatures and weights opposite a detailed table of contents. This is a book about passion for travel, exploring fruit, vegetables and produce markets. To quote Lynne: “I love to travel, I love to visit new places and the best new places are the fresh produce markets. For a cook this can be paradise. It is where you learn not only about the seasonal fruit and vegetables but also about the people, their cooking traditions and their culture. It all evolves at the local market reflecting the climate and the seasons.” A truer word rarely spoken!

Each entry begins with a short description of the fruit or vegetable, followed by a collection of recipes, showcasing the item in question. The recipes are easily followed and you can taste them just reading them. I am particularly partial to the ‘Roasted Mushrooms with Fresh Chestnuts and Herbs’ and the ‘Brown Bread Ice Cream with Caramel Sauce and Guavas’. These recipes are innovative, using produce that we might all know but probably won’t use a lot, if at all. The ‘Roasted Loin of Pork with Glazed Loquats’ is brilliant and I am very pleased to see that Lynne is peeling her potatoes in the ‘Roasted Leg of Lamb with Pomegranate and Herb Sauce and Crisp Potatoes’. A comprehensive section on Asian vegetables lists some greens you might have ignored or only eaten in restaurants, despite the fact that they’re easy to cook and fit our climate well. I know prawns are an Australian favourite but try them with Celeriac Remoulade (page 209) and you will love them even more. I was rather bemused that even the humble chokoes get a look-in and the ‘Grated Potato, Thyme and Gruyère Gratin’ reminded me of my Swiss origins.

The photography throughout the book is appetizing and informative. I love the shots of the various produce markets. I reckon this is a very good reference book and a great read that deserves to live in every foodie kitchen, to get fat-splattered and dirty, but above all, to be used.

What are you waiting for? Go out and buy it, now!

Published by Fairfax Books

ISBN: 978-1-921190-67-4