[.ca] A Cook's Guide to Growing Herbs, Greens, and Aromatics (ISBN 155821917X)

From Amazon.com:
Millie Owen was a New Yorker transplanted to rural Vermont. She arrived in the country knowing little about growing things but dug into the subject with enthusiastic dedication, teaching herself all about gardening and edible plants through reading and by trial and error. Her ultimate goal was to enjoy cultivating and harvesting from the wild the widest possible assortment of edible botanicals, including greens, herbs, and aromatics such as garlic, onions, and horseradish. A Cook's Guide to Growing Herbs, Greens & Aromatics, written in 1997, is now part of The Cooks Classic Library, that growing collection of eternal culinary works from Lyons Press. In this book, Owen shares her enthusiasm and dispenses advice with warmth and intelligence. She reminds you that convenience should be your first thought when planning a garden. Eager for you to have home-grown edible plants at hand, she tells how even apartment dwellers can raise herbs. Typical of her quirky practicality, she suggests using grow-lights in a closet or under the bathroom sink, so you can devote the space on sunny window sills for more visually attractive flora. Most of A Cook's Guide consists of 47 enchanting sections on individual edibles, from asparagus to wormwood. Among them, Owen's take on lamb's quarters--"Free spinach!"--is typically crammed with poetic images, detailed information on when to pick this versatile wild green, a precise inventory of its rich nutritional value, and a simple, appealing recipe for eggs baked in ramekins lined with blanched greens deliciously blended with grated Gruyère cheese. The sections on most plants include one or more recipes. From Seafood Grilled on a Bed of Basil--as simple as it sounds--to her unique Green Chicken Tandoori Grilled with Potatoes, a dish loaded with fresh coriander, Owen makes your mouth water at the prospect of clear, fresh flavors. Spend an afternoon with Owen and your view of everything, from utilitarian onions to purslane, a weed "uncannily tuned to the sound of soil being cultivated," will change. Following her lead, and spurred on by Karl Stuecklen's friendly drawings, you may add mildly peppery violet leaves to salads and start tinting your Arroz con Pollo, the Spanish chicken and rice stew, with golden marigold petals. Keep this book in mind for anyone you know who gardens, as well as for cooks. --Dana Jacobi

A Lovely Little Book:
Herb growers and herb cooks will love this little book; the author has a real knack for writing as if she were speaking to an old friend. Her advice is down-to-earth and simple to understand. The line drawings are charming. She starts off with really great advice and instructions on how to grow and plant herbs, soil and pest tips, etc. Then she lists 47 different plants with loads of information; she tells you what mistakes to avoid because she already made them years ago and she learned the hard way! She gives several recipies for each different plant. There's even a section on foraging for wild edible plants! This book is truly a treasure and one I use alot when planning, growing and cooking.

A Lovely Little Book:
Herb growers and herb cooks will love this little book; the author has a real knack for writing as if she were speaking to an old friend. Her advice is down-to-earth and simple to understand. The line drawings are charming. She starts off with really great advice and instructions on how to grow and plant herbs, soil and pest tips, etc. Then she lists 47 different plants with loads of information; she tells you what mistakes to avoid because she already made them years ago and she learned the hard way! She gives several recipies for each different plant. There's even a section on foraging for wild edible plants! This book is truly a treasure and one I use alot when planning, growing and cooking.