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The Herbfarm Cookbook
Not so long ago, parsley was the only fresh herb available to most American cooks. Today, bunches of fresh oregano and rosemary can be found in nearly every supermarket, basil and mint grow abundantly in backyards from coast to coast, and garden centers offer pots of edible geraniums and lemon thyme. But once these herbs reach the kitchen, the inevitable question Now what do I do with them? Here, at last, is the first truly comprehensive cookbook to cover all aspects of growing, handling, and cooking with fresh herbs.Jerry Traunfeld grew up cooking and gardening in Maryland, but it wasn't until the 1980s, after he had graduated from the California Culinary Academy and was working at Jeremiah Tower's Stars restaurant in San Francisco, that he began testing the amazing potential of herb cuisine. For the past decade, Jerry Traunfeld has been chef at The Herbfarm, an enchanted restaurant surrounded by kitchen gardens and tucked into the rainy foothills of the Cascade Mountains, east of Seattle. His brilliant nine-course herb-inspired menus have made reservations at the Herbfarm among the most coveted in the country. Eager to reveal his magic to home cooks, Jerry Traunfeld shares 200 of his best recipes in The Herbfarm Cookbook. Written with passion, humor, and a caring for detail that makes this book quite special, The Herbfarm Cookbook explains everything from how to recognize the herbs in your supermarket to how to infuse a jar of honey with the flavor of fresh lavender. Recipes include a full range of dishes from soups, salads, eggs, pasta and risotto, vegetables, poultry, fish, meats, breads, and desserts to sauces, ice creams, sorbets, chutneys, vinegars, and candied flowers. On the familiar side are recipes for Bay Laurel Roasted Chicken and Roasted Asparagus Salad with Fried Sage explained with the type of detail that insures the chicken will be moist and suffused with the flavor of bay and the asparagus complemented with the delicate crunch of sage. On the novel side you will find such unusual dishes as Oysters on the Half Shell with Lemon Varbana Ice and Rhubarb and Angelica Pie. A treasure trove of information, The Herbfarm Cookbook contains a glossary of 27 of the most common culinary herbs and edible flowers; a definitive guide to growing herbs in a garden, a city lot, or on a windowsill; a listing of the USDA has hardiness zones; how to harvest, clean, and store fresh herbs; a Growing Requirements Chart, including each herb's life cycle, height, pruning and growing needs, and number of plants to grow for an average kitchen; and a Cooking with Fresh Herbs Chart, with parts of the herb used, flavor characteristics, amount of chopped herb for six servings, and best herbal partners. The Herbfarm Cookbook is the most complete, inspired, and useful book about cooking with herbs ever written. -8 pages of finished dishes in full color -16 full-page botanical watercolors in full color
716 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 23, 2017
I read this years ago, but didn't note it then; I borrowed my aunt's copy a few weeks ago to revisit. This book is as beautiful, relevant, and exciting as it was when published, and I am eager to start cooking. So many creative uses for herbs, spices, vegetables, etc.!
February 28, 2007
The best cookbook on my shelf!
April 15, 2012
For the past 10 years, Jerry Traunfeld has been perfecting his herb-infused cuisine as executive chef at the Herbfarm restaurant-nursery nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state. He isdevoted to propagating an exceptional variety of culinary herbs, edible flowers, and greens. People wait months for a table at this restaurant, where Traunfeld's unaffected yet sophisticated cooking unfolds in a nine-course dinner.
Reading his recipes, you understand why. It is hard to get through even the first chapter, on soups, without starting a shopping list for making Green Gazpacho, a cooling blend of cucumbers and green pepper with spearmint, parsley, and cilantro, or Herbal Chicken Noodle Soup, lavish with fresh basil, chives, tarragon, and marjoram.
After enticing you with the story of his signature dish, a green salad made with up to 30 ingredients, each literally harvested and assembled on the plate one leaf and blossom at a time, Traunfeld shows how, using more typical resources, you can construct a salad that your friends will declare a delicious work of art. To make it really simple, he provides a chart listing 50 possible choices that helps you balance the flavors, including hot, sweet, bitter and aromatic, and the colors and textures that make a salad more than a plate of lovely greens.
Instructions from growing herbs to making stocks and sauces are included, along with herb substitutions and infusions. Among the 200 featured recipes are Smoked Salmon Benedict with Sorrel Sauce, Braised Chicken with Leeks and Porcini, Sparkling Herb Sodas, and Black Pansy Sorbet. A chapter defining herbs and edible flowers from Angelica to Thyme makes a handy reference guide.
You're not likely to find another guide to herbs by an author who is so widely known for using them deliciously – no wonder it's already in its third printing.
However, if you don't live in a culinary paradise like the Seattle area, only have access to a typical supermarket and you don't want to grow your own herbs, you can still infuse your cooking with the same enticing magic Traunfeld creates at the Herbfarm. Just tuck sprigs of thyme, rosemary, or oregano between the slices of a loaf of country bread spread with butter or olive oil and roasted garlic, wrap it in foil, and pop it in the oven for a
quick 12 minutes.
Or try Mashed Potatoes with Toasted Coriander, the seeds adding earthy flavor to a perennial favorite, and serve with chicken piccata enlivened with fresh dill.
Traunfeld is such a good teacher and clear writer that you follow with confidence when he guides you through Herb-Smoked Salmon – first dry-rubbed, then smoked over dried stems from basil, thyme, or fennel and finally baked until the fish is just gently set. You also get an introduction to the Japanese concept of umami, a state of food perfection that Traunfeld achieves in his Umami Carrot Soup with Mint.
Published 11/23/2000 by Crindalyn Stevens (Lyster), Editor of Coast Weekend
Reading his recipes, you understand why. It is hard to get through even the first chapter, on soups, without starting a shopping list for making Green Gazpacho, a cooling blend of cucumbers and green pepper with spearmint, parsley, and cilantro, or Herbal Chicken Noodle Soup, lavish with fresh basil, chives, tarragon, and marjoram.
After enticing you with the story of his signature dish, a green salad made with up to 30 ingredients, each literally harvested and assembled on the plate one leaf and blossom at a time, Traunfeld shows how, using more typical resources, you can construct a salad that your friends will declare a delicious work of art. To make it really simple, he provides a chart listing 50 possible choices that helps you balance the flavors, including hot, sweet, bitter and aromatic, and the colors and textures that make a salad more than a plate of lovely greens.
Instructions from growing herbs to making stocks and sauces are included, along with herb substitutions and infusions. Among the 200 featured recipes are Smoked Salmon Benedict with Sorrel Sauce, Braised Chicken with Leeks and Porcini, Sparkling Herb Sodas, and Black Pansy Sorbet. A chapter defining herbs and edible flowers from Angelica to Thyme makes a handy reference guide.
You're not likely to find another guide to herbs by an author who is so widely known for using them deliciously – no wonder it's already in its third printing.
However, if you don't live in a culinary paradise like the Seattle area, only have access to a typical supermarket and you don't want to grow your own herbs, you can still infuse your cooking with the same enticing magic Traunfeld creates at the Herbfarm. Just tuck sprigs of thyme, rosemary, or oregano between the slices of a loaf of country bread spread with butter or olive oil and roasted garlic, wrap it in foil, and pop it in the oven for a
quick 12 minutes.
Or try Mashed Potatoes with Toasted Coriander, the seeds adding earthy flavor to a perennial favorite, and serve with chicken piccata enlivened with fresh dill.
Traunfeld is such a good teacher and clear writer that you follow with confidence when he guides you through Herb-Smoked Salmon – first dry-rubbed, then smoked over dried stems from basil, thyme, or fennel and finally baked until the fish is just gently set. You also get an introduction to the Japanese concept of umami, a state of food perfection that Traunfeld achieves in his Umami Carrot Soup with Mint.
Published 11/23/2000 by Crindalyn Stevens (Lyster), Editor of Coast Weekend
August 26, 2010
I wouldn't normally add cookbooks here, but I LOVE this book. I bought some herbs earlier this summer but wasn't sure hwo to use them so I bought this book and am so glad that I did. It has a synopsis on some of the most popular herbs - how to grow them, take care of them, harvest them etc. It also has some awesome recipes. I made the herbed foccacia and some yummy lavender shortbread. This book got me really excited about keeping up an herb garden.
The Herbfarm is a famous restraunt in the Seattle area that creates it's menus based on the herbs and vegetables that they grow on their nearby farm. The recipes in this book are some that are used in their restraunt.
The Herbfarm is a famous restraunt in the Seattle area that creates it's menus based on the herbs and vegetables that they grow on their nearby farm. The recipes in this book are some that are used in their restraunt.
September 28, 2008
I love this book! The last section is an awesome reference for using herbs in cooking and growing them in your garden. The author explains hardcore gardening information (like what genus the herb is from and how to harvest it) without using gardening jargon. That's a rarity for folks who are "plant killers" trying to reform their ways. I borrowed this book from the library but will probably buy a copy of my own to keep...it's just that good!
April 3, 2009
Haven't tried most of the recipes because they didn't entirely appeal for one reason or another (ingredients or amount of work). However, the recipes for Lavender Walnut Slipper Bread and Lavender Shortbread are amazing. The bread recipe is a great starting point for making your own breads...I've translated it a number of times into things like cranberry-sage bread and roasted garlic-asiago bread.
March 29, 2009
I repotted all my plants yesterday on the sunny porch. I have two hanging pots, one full of greens, the other ready to sprout a handful of herbs. I took this book out in anticipation of their growth. The recipes spoke to me with intense earthy notes, with an abundance of fresh herbs to tame the summer heat. I can only wait so much longer for the warm breeze.
Delicious.
Delicious.
July 9, 2010
Absolutely delightful recipes. At times I didn't find herbs called for in their fresh state, but dried worked just a well. Page 54 has one of the best recipes for asparagus I've ever tasted. If you love herbs in your recipes, I highly recommend this book.
October 28, 2011
An excellent book for cooking wit herbs and a good resource for herb growers. The lavender recipes are wonderful as is the roasted ratatouille: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
February 19, 2008
I love to read this book and cook from it.
August 14, 2010
My dream is to eat at this place.
October 31, 2012
Hands down best cookbook ever. Everything I know about cooking started with this book and a James Beard book.
June 18, 2021
I don't normally rate cookbooks. I mean, do you actually READ a cookbook? You skim it, find recipes you'd like to try, try them, and move on to the next interesting recipe. But to actually read it from cover to cover? Umm, no, not really. At least I don't. I don't want you to think that I have read The Herbfarm Cookbook from cover to cover, I have not. However, I had to write a review of this book simply because I have found it to be invaluable as I grow and learn more about my herb garden.
So far, The Herbfarm Cookbook is the best book I have found that pretty much has it all. From the history of the herb, when to plant, best soil, best-growing conditions, and delicious recipes. It also gives you guidance for herb pairings. I find myself referencing it often whether I'm in the kitchen or heading out to my garden. If you love growing, using, and experimenting with herbs this is a book you will definitely want to have handy.
So far, The Herbfarm Cookbook is the best book I have found that pretty much has it all. From the history of the herb, when to plant, best soil, best-growing conditions, and delicious recipes. It also gives you guidance for herb pairings. I find myself referencing it often whether I'm in the kitchen or heading out to my garden. If you love growing, using, and experimenting with herbs this is a book you will definitely want to have handy.
February 1, 2021
Half a cookbook and half a gardening book -- a good read if you're interested in both. I only gave four stars because I haven't tried any of the recipes yet. But I plan to (and if they're great, I'll update!).
June 10, 2019
Beautiful, practical book full of ways to use herbs
August 26, 2021
Some great ideas... looking forward to making the Nettle Chive Soup and frying Sage leaves
January 1, 2025
Classic and elegant recipes, with a healthy dose of herb gardening information thrown in.
October 21, 2016
I anticipated this book's arrival with a whole lotta excited impatience, but since reading it over the last couple of years my enthusiasm has toned down considerably. It's just very 'restaurant-y' and while that can be super inspiring, inspiration which is difficult to realize is quite frustrating. After all, cookbooks are ideally a lovely combination of fiction ... and practicality.
Maybe my tastes have changed, but including several recipes that require expensive equipment without any instructions for hand-processing is ... I'm tired, so I'll just come out and say it instead of searching for a prettier analogy ... annoying.
I mean, he says to use a mortar and pestle to make pesto (okay, great, that's the glorious traditional way, but if you've ever tried doing this in a home mortar you know it ain't so easy, depending on what kind of model you have, what quantities you'd like to make, etc.) but then says that you should use either a spice mill or a food processor to grind spices like roasted coriander seeds, which is SUPER EASY to do by hand in a mortar and pestle. And lord knows I don't have a spice mill lying around, waiting to grind all those coriander seeds I use approximately five times a year.
And then there were the breads (which sound SCRUMPTIOUS, I might add), many of which he notes are too wet to knead by hand and require a machine. Color me disappointed as hell. I mean, come on, man, what kind of kitchen outfit do you think your readers have?
Anyhow, I think this is a pretty typical breakdown where a professional has been doing what they do for so long that it's difficult for them to put themselves back in layman shoes. Wherein lies the interest in hiring a food editor, or a home cook, to test your recipes before they go into print.
So this book is left to occupy the same fantasy real estate as my magnificent Kitchen Aid with all the attachments, my $10,000 ice cream machine, and that essential-of-essentials, a spice mill. It's a pretty place, and it's possibly perfection, but it sure ain't reality.
Maybe my tastes have changed, but including several recipes that require expensive equipment without any instructions for hand-processing is ... I'm tired, so I'll just come out and say it instead of searching for a prettier analogy ... annoying.
I mean, he says to use a mortar and pestle to make pesto (okay, great, that's the glorious traditional way, but if you've ever tried doing this in a home mortar you know it ain't so easy, depending on what kind of model you have, what quantities you'd like to make, etc.) but then says that you should use either a spice mill or a food processor to grind spices like roasted coriander seeds, which is SUPER EASY to do by hand in a mortar and pestle. And lord knows I don't have a spice mill lying around, waiting to grind all those coriander seeds I use approximately five times a year.
And then there were the breads (which sound SCRUMPTIOUS, I might add), many of which he notes are too wet to knead by hand and require a machine. Color me disappointed as hell. I mean, come on, man, what kind of kitchen outfit do you think your readers have?
Anyhow, I think this is a pretty typical breakdown where a professional has been doing what they do for so long that it's difficult for them to put themselves back in layman shoes. Wherein lies the interest in hiring a food editor, or a home cook, to test your recipes before they go into print.
So this book is left to occupy the same fantasy real estate as my magnificent Kitchen Aid with all the attachments, my $10,000 ice cream machine, and that essential-of-essentials, a spice mill. It's a pretty place, and it's possibly perfection, but it sure ain't reality.
January 25, 2012
Traunfeld, chef at the esteemed Herbfarm restaurant in Washington state, has created a beautiful collection of recipes here. However, it left something to be strongly desired for this reader, for a couple reasons. His recipes are almost entirely in the European flavor tradition--which makes sense, given that the Northwest is the perfect climate in which to grow herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary, and lavender. And the recipes do sound delicious--but how many readers are going to knock out a tray of oysters on the half shell with lemon verbena ice for a dinner party? There are reminders throughout this book that the writer is a high-end chef (the description of his staff creating salads by placing each leaf individually on the plate, for example) which ultimately left me unattached and uninvested. Combined with a culinary tradition that just doesn't thrill me (not just the European flavors but also the traditional soup-salad-entree-sorbet format, the reliance on meat as entree, etc.), I copied down one dessert recipe and I'm done with this book.
August 24, 2015
I got this from the library in my ongoing project to try cookbooks on my to-read list and get them off of there.
This is half cookbook, half comprehensive guide to growing, identifying, and using herbs. It seems to come from a place of "there are more herbs than parsley! that's amazing" which is a bit reductive but I found a few recipes in here that I'd like to try. I can't yet speak for their quality. Most of the recipes seem like pretty traditional dishes, plus extra herbs.
-Chanterelle and Corn Chowder with Basil
-Fusilli Carbonara with Fines Herbes (because it has no bacon!)
-Delicata Squash with Rosemary, Sage, and Cider Glaze
This is half cookbook, half comprehensive guide to growing, identifying, and using herbs. It seems to come from a place of "there are more herbs than parsley! that's amazing" which is a bit reductive but I found a few recipes in here that I'd like to try. I can't yet speak for their quality. Most of the recipes seem like pretty traditional dishes, plus extra herbs.
-Chanterelle and Corn Chowder with Basil
-Fusilli Carbonara with Fines Herbes (because it has no bacon!)
-Delicata Squash with Rosemary, Sage, and Cider Glaze
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July 28, 2010food
January 26, 2014
Best herb cookbook from the originator of fresh herb cooking and growing. A BUCKET LIST DESTINATION for all foodies.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews