Whether you’re new to the kitchen or a pro, good cookbooks are a perfect way to get the creative juices flowing and delicious recipe cooking. These amazing garden-to-table cookbooks will help bring joy and flavor to your home (and encourage you to use your fresh Gardenuity harvests).
The First Mess
Cookbook by Laura Wright
The first Mess Cookbook by Laura Wright is an inspiring look into her creative spirit. The simple and stylish approach to food is inspiring to cooking novices and seasoned pros alike. With stunning imagery and a unique insight into her childhood (her father’s farm market was her second home), Laura is the person you can’t wait to have lunch with.
During her time working for one of Canada’s original farm-to-table chefs, she learned about the joys of cooking and eating at home and has since focused on how to empower people through good food. She confirms the importance of having fresh food and a home garden and vows that a sense of community starts at the table, which is a throughline in this garden-to-table cookbook. One of our favorite recipes is the Creamy Jalapeno Corn chowder — a perfect way to utilize your fresh pepper harvests from your Gardenuity MoGrow!
Simple Fare: Spring/Summer: A Guide to Everyday Cooking and Eating
By Karen Mordechai, the creator of Sunday Suppers
The introduction to the book says it all: “This is how I cook. This is how we eat.” Despite its immense coffee table décor appeal, you won’t be able to help using many post-it notes to mark your favorite recipes. If you’re looking for stunning artwork, the imagery of the Brisket Tacos is a beautiful option for your kitchen. If you’re looking for a delicious recipe (we always are), try Karen’s Burnt Carrots. PRO TIP: Use freshly harvested carrots! They’re super easy to grow and every member of your family will love the fresh kick to this soon-to-be family favorite.
The Drunken Botanist
by Amy Stewart
It’s universal: great drinks start with a plant and a creative spirit. Sake began with a grain of rice, Scotch emerged from barley, and Amy’s creative take on drinks starts directly in the garden. Throughout the garden-to-table cookbook, she meticulously curates from our world’s botanical bounty and brings forth ideas that will leave you wishing it was happy hour all the time.
Overall, the recipes are simple and classic — with a few whimsical variations. Check out the Moscow Mule on page 166. Amy shares some great insight into ginger, including where and how it’s grown and harvested, and crafts a drink full of flavor, leaving you excited for that first sip from your copper cup.
American Girl: Garden to Table: Fresh Recipes to Cook and Share
by Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
Growing future foodies is easy to do with this new American Girl Garden to Table cookbook. With more than 50 recipes, you and your young ones are sure to discover the joy that comes with each and every fresh harvest. The book shares basic how-to information, cooking tips, and vegetable prep ideas. Most importantly, this garden-to-table cookbook will inspire you to spend some time in the ‘heart of the home’ with your budding foodie.
One of our favorite quotes is something we repeat at the Gardenuity office all the time, “You don’t need a big backyard to get growing — you can start in your own kitchen.” The first recipe we tried was the Fresh Herb Panzanella. Easy and delicious, it’s an absolute family favorite.
Buy one (or two or three) and let us know what you think! More importantly, have fun incorporating your fresh herbs and veggies into your kitchen life — it’ll bring a fresh taste to every recipe.