Concord, N.H. ? For Jack Bishop’s family, eating seasonally and locally is simple thanks to a community-supported farm they joined four years ago.

Now from June through November the cookbook author, his wife and their two daughters eat what they pick from fields not far from their Sag Harbor, N.Y., home.

But the message in Bishop’s recent book, “A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen” (Houghton Mifflin, 2004, $35), is that you need not live on or even near a farm to appreciate the pleasures of produce at its prime.

“There’s no reason why you have to be present when the food is removed from the soil,” he said. “But I do believe there are sorts of rhythms that people have gotten out of the habit of.

“There’s a reason why you have hearty bean and chili dishes in January,” said Bishop, executive editor of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and one of the stars of the publication’s public television show, America’s Test Kitchen.

Bishop, who describes himself as a “vegetable nut,” said the experience of preparing and eating foods tied so closely to the seasons inspired him to write a book that walks the home cook through an entire year of meals.

There are many reasons to let season dictate the menu, he explained. Not the least is taste.

“There’s no point in buying a tomato grown thousands of miles away in January that has no flavor, and then spend hours (in the kitchen) trying to hide the fact that it has no flavor,” he said.

Of course the seasonal-local mantra has been echoed by restaurateurs for years, and for good reason. But Bishop isn’t pushing a fancy food agenda. He favors simple recipes easily made after a long day of work.

“I’m just not going to make too many two- or three-hour recipes,” he said. “I’m not attempting to do really complicated or intricate dishes, and that’s not what people should be trying to do at home.”

For people who don’t have access to farms such as the one Bishop buys from, he said farmers’ markets are the best bet. Every week they offer food fresh from the field, and the chance to get to know where and from whom one’s food comes.

Lawrence’s Farmers Market is from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturdays in the 1000 block of Vermont.

Bishop’s book is intuitively set out by season, making it easy to select from a variety of recipes suited for whichever time of year you happen to be cooking.

Tostadas With Garlicky Spinach, Grape Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

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3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Four 6-inch flour tortillas

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Salt

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

5 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 6 cups)

2 1/2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Brush a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and arrange the tortillas on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Combine the tomatoes, cilantro, 1 tablespoon oil and salt to taste in a small bowl. Set aside to marinate several minutes.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and the garlic in a large skillet over a medium flame. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spinach and salt to taste, and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach wilts, 1 to 2 minutes.

Divide the spinach evenly among the tortillas. Top the spinach with a portion of the tomato mixture, then sprinkle with goat cheese. Bake until the tortillas are crisp and the cheese softens, about 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.