Do you ever wonder how past generations used the heirloom varieties
you are currently growing? There are a hand full of cookbooks out
there that cover this subject, to various degrees. The first one
to come to mind is "The Victory Garden Cookbook" by Marian Morash
(Alfred A. Knopf, 1982). The book is an offshoot of the television
show. Ms. Morash says her first goal was to entice readers with the
delights of eating fresh grown vegetables in the hope that that would then
be interested in growing them. There are over 800 recipes intermixed
with useful information on gardening and shopping for ingredients.
In a similar vein, "A Celebration Of Heirloom Vegetables: Growing And Cooking Old-Time Varieties", by Roger Yepsan (Artisan Publishers, 1998) tries to highlight the diversity of recipes available if you plant a diversity of vegetables.
More generally, the original "The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book" by Fannie Farmer is now offered online. This book covered soup to nuts, with over 1,800 recipes. But it's worth a look to see what was available in 1918 and how ingredients were used.
Colonial Williamsburg publishes "The Williamsburg Art of Cookery". Originally compiled in 1938, it is supposed to represent the recipes that would have been used in Virginia households in the 18th and 19th centuries. ($14.95)
I've mentioned "Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History", by William Woys Weaver (Henry Holt & Company, 1997) many times before. It has become something of a bible for heirloom vegetable gardeners. In addition to being an encyclopedia of old vegetable varieties, Mr. Woys Weaver also includes several recipes and tips on how to use some of the more unusual vegetables. ($45.00)
The Indian Harvest Company's web site has some interesting recipes. They bill themselves as "The Ultimate Rice, Grain & Bean Company" and they do have a handful of interesting recipes like Scarlet Runner Bean & Wild Mushroom Salsa and Black Quinoa Dessert Timbales.
And finally, about.com's "Home Cooking" section has two useful areas. The Food History Resources page lists online sources for heirloom recipes and food facts. My favorite page is an Heirloom Weights & Measures Conversion Chart where you can learn that a wineglass equals 1/4 cup and a peck is 2 gallons dry.
It's really kind of fun to try an hunt down a recipe for your rattlesnake beans and hot egg peppers. Let me know if you find any other good resources.
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