Posted on May 9, 2013 by Meghan
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(Disclosure: The cookbook links below are affiliate links and if you happen to make a purchase through them I’ll receive a few cents of your purchase – and of course would be so grateful!)
Let me just start by saying if anyone ever wants to invite me to anything hosted by a Junior Leaguer I’m in -because apparently those Junior League ladies can cook! I’m so excited to be able to tell you all about Simply Classic: A New Collection of Recipes to Celebrate the Northwest
, compiled by the Junior League of Seattle. This is one of my top five cookbooks and everything I’ve made from it has been delicious. Not only that, the recipes always get rave reviews – this is my go-to cookbook when I need a no-fail potluck dish or family dinner contribution. You can tell that these are recipes from real-world kitchens – with easy-to-find ingredients and common equipment they are easy to replicate at home. The recipes are comfort food with a Northwest twist, new American cooking with a global hint. Some of my favorites are the Tomato & Basil Tart, Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Salad, Green Bean & Feta Salad and Northwest Stew with Dried Cherries.
The book is a joy to flip through and read as well – illustrated with beautiful paintings of classic Seattle scenes, menus to suit any Pacific Northwest occasion and recipe head-notes that evoke a certain iconic Seattle style. I love to give this book as a gift and it would be perfect as a souvenir of Seattle or for someone with a special spot in their heart for the city.
I’ve cooked from this book many many times before, but for the purpose of the Cook the Collection challenge I prepared the Northwest Autumn Salad at a family gathering this past weekend. This is one of my go-to green salad recipes and although it’s titled as an autumn salad, the dressing is light enough for any time of year and lends itself so well to adaptations. Of course I made a number of changes (I just can’t help myself) – pears instead of apples, walnuts instead of pecans and lime juice for lemon juice. We ate it alongside a knock-out grilled pork tenderloin and a simple fruit salad that was just right.
