As savory as any vegetable, as sweet as its fellow fruits, it inspires a cultlike devotion on all continents. The inimitable, versatile tomato has conquered the cuisines of Spain and Italy, and in America it is our most popular garden delicacy. Arthur Allen understands the spell of the tomato and he’s our guide to its dramatic story.

He begins by describing in mouthwatering detail the wonder of a truly delicious tomato, and then introduces the man who prospected for wild tomato genes in South America and made them available to tomato breeders. The story of enslaved Mexican Indians in the Florida tomato fields is followed by the tale of how the Chinese army mastered the art of canning tomatoes. Combining reportage, archival research, and innumerable anecdotes in a lively narrative seen through the lens of today’s global market, here is a story that will resonate from the greenhouse to the dinner table.

Although they certainly are good for you, leave a lighter footprint on the earth, and cost a lot less than a pound of tenderloin, one should consume green beans and favas, pomegranates and key limes, Swiss chard and honeydew because they’re gorgeous, flavorful, versatile, and fantastically delicious.

A stunning visual exploration of common fruits and vegetables organized by color, Ripe is a cookbook that whets the appetite and excites the senses through 150 beautiful full-color photographs, breezy narrative essays, and 75 delicious recipes in chapters Red (beets, blood oranges, and cherries), Orange (apricot, butternut squash, carrots), Yellow (banana, corn, and pineapple), Green (asparagus, bok choy, and edamame), Purple and Blue(blueberries, eggplant, and plums), and White (bosc pears, endive, and jicama).