A Cook's Guide to Growing Herbs, Greens, and Aromatics

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 Gruyere 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

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