Novice and seasoned gardeners alike will discover sprig upon
sprig of useful information in this rich combination herb
primercookbook. Drawing from her own organic gardening
experience--a 20-year labor of love inspired by an attempt to make
her family "entirely self-sufficient"--author Carole Ottesen tells
the story of growing and cooking with more than 100 healing herbs.
A helpful sketch of each plant shares a full page with its general
facts including botanical name, use, and harvest time. After
Ottesen discusses her own relationship to the herb--buying Mexican
mint after her tarragon plants expired; discovering plants of gotu
kola for sale at the local garden center--she relates interesting
facts regarding the herb''s historical use, its various healing
properties, whether it''s approved by the German Commission E, and
how the little treasure prospered or didn''t in her own garden.
She also offers a handful of savory recipes showcasing the featured
herb. Here, Ottesen''s schooling at l''Academie de Cuisine in
Bethesda, Maryland, mixes delightfully with her wit and kitchen
savvy. Recipes range from entrées like Hyssop Chicken for Sadness
to simple accents Carrots with Rosemary Butter; from tinctures
and teas to elegant desserts The Only Good Fruitcake. Her cozy
writing style and true wealth of carefully detailed knowledge about
each herb make this guide much more than a mere cookbook or herbal
encyclopedia: each entry reads like a letter from a dear friend,
and a highly informed one at that. --Liane Thomas