The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden Creative Gardening For The Adventurous Cook by David P. Hirsch  Ten Speed Press, 2005 Organic grower David Hirsch is a senior member of the famous Moosewood Resaurant Collective in Ithaca, New York, which he joined in the 1970s after bartering his garden-fresh basil for meals.

In this revised and updated guide to Moosewood-style gardening, Hirsch profiles 75 vegetables, herbs and edible flowers and explains how to plan and maintain a kitchen garden.

The profiles include growing requirements for each plant, harvest information, and some culinary tips. Seventy recipes complete the spread. "Superior quality and flavor results from harvesting foods as close to ripeness and the kitchen as possible," Hirsch proclaims. "Home growing can expand your cooking repertoire to include interesting veggies and herbs."

The "Moosewood way" of culinary gardening is not really a method, but an emphassis on growing produce close to home organically. The Moosewood Restaurant relies on no single kitchen garden, but several individual gardens and small farms in the Ithaca area for its food stuffs.

"We use fresh produce year-round with a particular emphasis on locally grown foods," Hirsch explains.

Culinary Tip: Stuffing Peppers The bell pepper's blocky, hollow shape invites stuffing: Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and seed; leave the stems on to help the peppers hold their shape. Stuff the raw peppers with a cooked or prepared filling and place in a baking dish, adding about 1/2 inch of water or tomato juice to the bottom.

Bake, tightly covered, at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked through. We stuff peppers with a variety of fillings that include the following:

• Ricotta and Parmesan cheeses with bread crumbs, fresh basil, and nutmeg.
• Corn and pinto beans with garlic, chili pepper, cumin, and coriander
• Mushrooms, dill, and scallions, with cream, cottage, and Cheddar cheeses
• Cooked, drained spinach with leeks, thyme, and Swiss cheese
• Rice pilaf with diced onions, carrots, and parsnips and marjoram, pine nuts, currants, and a pinch of saffron.