Prolific Portland author Diane Morgan's latest cookbook isn't afraid to get a bit dirty. Roots: The Definitive Compendium with More than 225 Recipes (out September 26th from Chronicle Books; $40; 432 pages) dives beneath the dirt that's home to nature's homeliest superfoods and finds that many of them are indeed diamonds in the rough.

Packed with photos, history, shopping tips, and recipes for roots from the familiar (beets, carrots, potatoes, and parsnips) to the very unfamiliar (cassava, crosnes, and burdock), Roots is the go-to guide for lovers of the vegetable world's budget-friendly underground underdogs.

Part reference book, part cookbook, Roots will have readers looking past the tomatoes and peppers at the farmers market for the hidden gems fresh from the ground. Best of all, we've got a copy to giveaway for free to one of our readers!

Crave more terrific tubers? Morgan will kick off a 17-city tour this month with a series of public signings and classes in Portland, including a free talk at Powell's (along with authors Ken Forkish and Julie Richardson) on Friday, September 21st at 7:30, a free book signing and tasting at the Beaverton Farmers Market on Saturday, September 29th.

For the more hands-on approach, Morgan will take over the culinary classroom at Milwaukie Kitchen & Wine on Wednesday, September 19th at 6:30 for a $65 cooking class dubbed "From Cocktails to Dessert: The Delicious Underground World of Root Vegetables" (more details here). She'll also be hosting a Feast Portland cooking class on Saturday, September 22nd, and another demo and dinner at Abby's Table on Saturday, September 29th.