Super Natural Simple

Introduction



The cookbooks I love always have a strong sense of place, so if you ll indulge me a bit, I ll paint a picture of where this one originates. I m writing from a small, sunny kitchen in a century-old Spanish bungalow. A bird s-eye view places me a block from an expansive stretch of beach running a few miles in length from a neat-as-a-pin marina to a craggy jetty at the end of a long, dancer s leg of a peninsula. You can t go much farther south and still be in Los Angeles County. It s California, at volume ten.

At this moment, a glance through our south-facing windows reveals electric-red pomegranate flower blossoms and fiery banks of bougainvillea. From what I can tell, the plants here are happy, and I m trying to get passion fruit, Arabian jasmine, kishu mandarins, makrut lime, and tiny rosella seedlings to take hold in a postage stamp size space. There are herbs like tulsi and African basil, marjoram, yerba buena, and tangerine sage sprinkled about, and I water them with an old-fashioned metal watering can because I have yet to figure out the drip line.

I throw most of our meals together with ingredients I keep on hand. My goal is always to fix vibrant, nutrient-packed meals made primarily from whole, natural foods and I try to set up my kitchen to encourage and support that. When I open my pantry door, I see brown jasmine rice, dried mushrooms, chickpea pastas, tri-colored quinoa, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a rainbow of beans and lentils. Beyond that, seasonal vegetables set the tone for most meals, and I keep as many within eyesight as possible. This way, I m more likely to integrate them into whatever I m cooking.

California has enviable year-round farmers markets, and Los Angeles has a great climate for maintaining a garden. For both, I m exceptionally thankful. Intense, fresh, and bright flavors are what I crave and what inspire everything I cook. But if I m being honest, my days are fuller than ever, and this detail,

Heidi Swanson is the New York Times bestselling author of Super Natural Cooking, Super Natural Every Day, and Near & Far, as well as a photographer, website publisher, and shop curator. She is a two-time James Beard Award winner and was named one of the 100 greatest home cooks of all time by Epicurious. She has been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Vegetarian Times, Cherry Bombe, British Journal of Photography, and the San Francisco Chronicle, and on Food52. She lives in Los Angeles.

The brilliant recipes, tips, and suggestions in Super Natural Simple strike the magical balance of delicious, healthy, and doable. Heidi s effortless style and unique gift for combining approachable everyday recipes with distinctive flavor profiles shine bright in this beautiful book. Amy Chaplin, James Beard Award winning author of Whole Food Cooking Everyday

The recipes in this beautiful book are not only incredibly delicious, they also highlight the importance of eating from our gardens and local farms throughout the year. Lauri Kranz, author of A Garden Can Be Anywhere

Is it possible to savor a book? I relished every page of this vibrant, useful tome. And when I was finished, I headed straight to the kitchen. Emily Fiffer, co-owner of Botanica Restaurant 

The ingredients Heidi calls for in her recipes are almost always ones I have in my pantry, but through her distinctive combination of flavors, additions of a little spice, and pops of color, an otherwise ordinary meal feels special and festive. Yumiko Sekine, owner of Fog Linen Work