"A good salad tomato should be firm, plucked from the vine just before it is fully ripened, and heavy with the spicy scent of its foliage." With exquisite attention to the pleasures of cooking fresh food, Viana La Place introduces the basic Italian principle of cooking with herbs and vegetables. Many of these recipes pair simple vegetables with unusual preparations, transforming classic dishes into new masterpieces. Here you will discover revelatory antipasti, like Baby Artichokes Marinated in Lemon and Herbs "(Carciofini al Limone e alle Erbe); " innovative salads like Romaine and Gorgonzola Salad with Whole Wheat Crostini "(Lattuga Romano e Gorgonzola con Crostini al Pone Integrate); " and such tantalizing pastas as Butterfly Pasta with Fennel and Balsamic Vinegar "(Forfalle ai Finocchi)" and Tiny Pasta with Ten Herbs "(Tripolini alle Dieci Erbe)"--dishes characterized by their earthy, intense fragrance. Viana La Place's brilliant and original recipes will make "Verdura" a permanent guide to cooking vegetables the Italian way in your kitchen.