Required Reading

        It's farmer's market season, and soon shoppers can come home from their favorite market with bags of whatever is in season. Greens, young beets and scallions are followed by the excitement of the first (expensive) tomatoes, which get cheaper as the summer goes on. Other fruits and vegetables will start scarce, then become abundant and then go out of season.

        It can be easy to buy too much, then wonder how to use it all. Local Flavors (Broadway Books; $39.95) by Deborah Madison has a wonderful variety of recipes for both common and unusual farmer's market vegetables.

        They're arranged following the season. Ms. Madison is known for vegetarian or almost-vegetarian cookbooks such as The Greens Cookbook, and this one, too, has wonderful salads, side dishes and hearty full-meal vegetable dishes, but also includes ways to cook the eggs and free-range chicken that are sold at many markets.

        You can use Greater Cincinnati produce in such recipes as Corn Fritters with Aged Cheddar and Arugula, Yellow Wax Beans with Lemon Thyme and Yellow Tomatoes, Penne with Green and Gold Zucchini and Ricotta, Melon Salad with Thai Basil or Baked Pancake with Pear and Cardomom.

Book Learning

        Fresh herbs are used in many of Deborah Madison's recipes in Local Flavors. Farmer's markets here don't always have the full range of exotic herbs she mentions. But, she says, “If your market is limited to parsley, dill and basil, then try mixing them together to make a kind of super-herb that goes far beyond the impact of any single one.”

We Tried It

        The space in Madeira that had been the Camargo Baking Co. was taken over three weeks ago by a new bakery, Cate's Bake Shop. Kate Carlier is the owner and baker, and her partner is Cathy Linnemann. They combined their names for the shop's name, which also is an archaic word for small pastries. Specialties are muffins, scones and custom cakes.

        I tried a buttermilk scone ($1.50); it tasted like an extra-sweet biscuit, with flaky layers and a tender crumb. I loved the low-fat, low-sugar bran muffin ($1.75), which was sweet and very moist, scented with orange and studded with plump raisins. Ms. Carlier doesn't have a nutrition count on it, but says the sweetness is from pureed raisins and there is just a little canola oil in the recipe. 6927 Miami Ave.; 561-9866.

Market Scan

        Also called Chinese parsley and fresh coriander, cilantro is common in many of the world's cuisines but only became known and available to many Americans within the last decade. The flavor resembles Italian parsley, but brighter and more citrusy. (Those who don't like cilantro describe its flavor as “soapy.”) Buy bright green cilantro with no signs of wilting or yellowing. Store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to a week, or place stems down in a glass of water and cover with a plastic bag. Wash just before using. Cilantro is best used fresh in salads and salsas, or add to soups and stews during the last few minutes of cooking.

Flavor Combo of the Week

        Cherries and almonds are a tried-and-true flavor combination: Many cherry pie recipes include a dash of almond extract, for instance. But not until I happened to have a bag of fresh, firm Bing cherries and a bag of raw almonds at the same time did I realize how perfect the combination is. Try a bowl of both as a snack or dessert now that Bing cherries are in the stores. Eat one, then the other. Somehow the combination intensifies the flavors of each.

Tasty contest

        Here's a food contest that doesn't require creating a recipe: Reddi-wip is sponsoring a “Reddi-wip Real Moments” contest, and if you've ever done anything creative with whipped cream in a can (with your clothes on, I assume) you can enter. There's a prize of $1,000 each month. Enter at www.reddi-wip.com or mail to P.O. Box 1845, Wheaton, IL 60657. Just In

June's issue of Cooking Light features “cool and creamy” summertime pies, recipes for garden-fresh produce, an herb primer and “super-easy” dinner options. $3.99

Sip It

        Goose Island Summertime: $6 (6-pack): This German-style Koelsch ale from Chicago is widely available in the Tristate. It's a superb example of the style: pale gold, well balanced and just enough hop flavor to lend interest. If you thought all German beers were lagers, try this for a refreshing summertime change.

— Ed Westemeier

Hot Date

       Look for your favorite cookbooks and “cookbooklets” at reduced prices during Anderson Library's annual used book sale, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Held at Nagel Middle School (1500 Nagel Road, Anderson Township), the book sale is open to the public. Information and directions: 369-4573 or www.cincinnatilibrary.org.

Go Online

        Ready to pick your own fresh fruit and vegetables? For a listing of Tristate you-pick farms, go to Cincinnati.Com. Keyword: You pick.

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