Uptown Country or Gourmet Gardener

Uptown Country

Author: Donald G Lewis

Drawn from the days when author Donald Lewis watched his grandmother churn butter and gather fresh eggs to use in family meals, these country dishes have a contemporary flair that’s perfect for even the most elegant brunch or dinner party. You’ll find recipes for such classic treats as Creamy Onion Soup, Squash Bisque, Creole Seafood Gumbo, Baked Chicken Breasts with Roast Garlic Sauce, Velvet Almond Fudge Cake, Lemon Date Squares, and Apple Spice Muffins. There’s also a useful conversion chart for British and American measures and temperatures, a handy list of ingredient substitutions, a recipe for a “Master Mix” that can be used for a range of baked goods, and general herb suggestions for flavoring foods to perfection.  This is a charming cookbook that skillfully combines rural country cooking with modern culinary style.

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Gourmet Gardener: Everything You Need to Know to Grow the Finest of Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers

Author: Bob Flowerdew

In his abundantly illustrated new book, organic gardening authority Bob Flowerdew offers expert practical advice on growing top-quality produce with incomparable flavor and freshness.

In The Gourmet Gardener, Bob Flowerdew concentrates on his favorite varieties of vegetables, fruits, and flowers--the ones that will give you the most return on your labor in terms of taste and enjoyment. Here is detailed information on growing hundreds of varieties of edible plants--all, of course, organically. Bob provides you with the know-how to enjoy perfectly ripened vegetables and fruits fresh from the garden and an ever-replenishing supply of culinary herbs, salad leaves, edible flowers, and heritage varieties not available in supermarkets. A chapter on preserving your harvest rounds off the book, so that you can freeze, dry, and transform your garden treats into conserves, sorbets, liqueurs, and confections of all kinds. Bob Flowerdew is Britain's foremost authority on organic gardening methods; among his many books are The Complete Book of Organic Gardening and Bob Flowerdew's Organic Bible.

Publishers Weekly

Flowerdew, a British horticulturist and author of several books on organic gardening, writes this guide for experienced growers ready to go "gourmet." He argues that mass-grown, chemically treated produce is inferior to organic, and that anything sold in stores has likely suffered during shipping and shelving. A true gourmet should cook using only the best, and that means fresh, home-grown fare. Flowerdew is comprehensive as he describes his tried-and-true techniques for raising even the most temperamental fruits and veggies, but beginning gardeners will be intimidated by the sheer volume of information and the technical knowledge Flowerdew assumes of his readers. More experienced growers will appreciate new tips on old favorites such as carrots, broccoli and peaches, plus the chance to try their hand at more exotic fare like bulbous-rooted chervil, rowan berries and bok, or pak, choi. Flowerdew also includes a chapter on storing and processing, and a rather extraneous section on growing flowers. Gorgeous photos liven up this authoritative, if textbooklike, guide to gourmet gardening. (Feb.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.