Continued: The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook

The recipes sound delicious, and they deliver: Fava Bean and Pea Shoot Salad, Slow-Baked Quince with Honey and Cognac. Of 26 entrées, a fourth are vegetarian, and almost a third are fish and shellfish. And, though a total indulgence, the Dried Plum and Toasted Almond Cream Tart is one of the most delicious desserts we’ve ever tasted.

This is an example of the sort of not-explicitly-healthy book that a health-minded cook can use to rebalance her diet and dive into the joys of the fresh and the local.

GIVE THIS TO: Beginners and confident locavores alike will love every bite. —Tiffany Vickers Davis