True to the Italian tradition of preparing vegetables and fruits by the simplest means in order to preserve their natural and when relevant delicate flavours, this book includes more than 200 delicious vegetable and fruit recipes, each of which is versatile enough to be served as a first or main course. The recipes range from the zesty leek dish with a green caper sauce to a rich risotto dish with artichokes and lemon. The author prefaces the recipes by discussing the essential ingredients themselves - the olive oil, stocks and cheeses - and then proceeds to describe each vegetable with tips about selecting, storing, preparing and cooking. The result is an extremely attractive cookbook which draws on the richness of Italian culture and traditions.