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‘Organic Marin’ will have you planning a garden or a trip

By Kim Davaz

If you’re a gardener, you’ve probably already worn the covers off your seed catalogs and have lists upon lists of potential crops for this coming summer. My annual contact with seed catalogs is theoretical; I’ve been thinking about getting some, because mostly I like to think about planting a garden.

Successfully having moved beyond herbs and tomatoes to lettuce and beets last year has encouraged me to be even more adventurous this year. Our compost bin is regularly filled with tea bags, coffee grounds and vegetable trimmings that will enrich my very small pesticide- and chemical-free raised bed: I have small gleaners who like to eat right from the plants.

Even if your garden experience is limited to the produce department at a grocery store or a venture to a farmers’ market, “Organic Marin: Recipes From Land to Table” will get you thinking hard about gardening and eating organic foods.

“Organic Marin” is a coffee-table book with recipes arranged by the seasons. The photos are gorgeous, both of food and landscapes. It’s a toss-up whether you’ll be most inspired to eat, plant or plan a trip to Northern California’s Marin County.

The first part of the book, before the recipes begin, focuses on the history of organic farming in Marin County. The success of organic farming is thanks to a community commitment by families, stores and restaurants to support organic family farms, many of whose stories are told in this section. It’s not just buying the food from them, it’s developing a relationship between producer and consumer. As Dennis Dierks of Paradise Valley Produce says, “That’s the best you can get, dealing directly with the people who are going to eat your food.”

The seasonal recipes beginning with “Spring” come from San Francisco area restaurants that support local organic farms. Sidebars tell about ingredients, give cooking tips and introduce farms, inns and restaurants.

The “Winter” section is no less inspiring than the more productive seasons’ offerings. Iceberg lettuce wedges topped with blue cheese dressing and crispy bits of pancetta is the best of retro food. The combination of crunchy lettuce, creamy dressing with the bite of blue cheese and crispy pancetta makes a perfectly balanced, delicious dish that is really more classic than retro, something that should never go out of style.

The foods from Marin are very similar to those available in Lane County and the surrounding area: mushrooms, berries, wines, lamb, cheeses, Dungeness crab, apples and salmon, which makes this cookbook almost local.

Right before the index is a list of resources for farms and products, organizations and restaurants that contributed recipes for the book. They could be used to start planning that trip to Marin.

“Organic Marin” is a book that will make you want to know who grows what you eat and how they do it. Food does not spring from a factory wrapped in plastic. It begins in the earth by people getting their hands dirty. “Organic Marin” wants you to appreciate all those people with dirty hands.

Butternut Squash Gratin from the “Fall” chapter is photographed with a glass of white wine at Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, overlooking a marina. The recipe specifies a large baking dish, but individual ramekins would also be nice, especially if you are serving this as a vegetarian main dish for lunch or dinner. The gratin may be made ahead of time and reheated.

Butternut Squash Gratin

• 3 pounds (5 cups) butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½c up half-and-half
• Parmesan Bread Crumbs (recipe follows)
• Parmesan Bread Crumbs:
• 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For Parmesan Bread Crumbs: Melt the butter in a small saute pan over medium heat. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the heat, let cool, and toss in a small bowl with the Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

For Butternut Squash Gratin: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Put the squash in a large bowl. Stir in the garlic, butter, flour, salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish and pour the half-and-half on top. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan bread crumbs. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish.

Kim Davaz writes a biweekly cookbook review column for The Register-Guard.

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