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Food to Live By: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook
Organic food is the best food possible. It’s synonymous with premium quality, delicious flavor, conscientious farming, and optimum health. It’s what we need to feed our kids, it’s what we deserve to feed ourselves. And thanks in part to Myra Goodman, co-owner and cofounder of Earthbound Farm with her husband, Drew, organic food is now available just about anywhere fresh food is sold, becoming more mainstream every day.
Not only has Myra been growing organic food for over twenty years, she has been cooking with it, too. In Food to Live By she combines her twin food passions, serving up hundreds of recipes, ideas, shopping and cooking tips, health notes, and more. Illustrating the book are full-color photographs throughout that bring readers right into the breathtaking California sunshine.
This is perfect cooking for friends and family, packed with irresistible dishes for weeknight dinners and casual entertaining, festive breakfasts and fall picnics. Recipes are all about the ingredients and their intrinsic qualities, not fancy techniques or time-consuming steps. Marry chicken with three simple accompaniments— rosemary, lemons, and garlic—and it’s transformed. Heighten the flavor of a springtime fava bean and orzo salad with an unexpected fava bean “pesto.” Combine Meyer lemon juice and soy sauce to create a marinade, tenderizer, and sauce that results in a perfect grilled flank steak.
Food to Live By also includes a wealth of information about organic farming and how to make the wisest food choices; there are full-color Field Guides—to gourmet greens, apples, heirloom tomatoes, winter squash—and Farm Fresh ingredient guides to sorrel, corn, melons, avocados, organic poultry, asparagus, artichokes, ginger, and more, featuring what to look for plus care and handling. The book is a boon to food lovers.
Not only has Myra been growing organic food for over twenty years, she has been cooking with it, too. In Food to Live By she combines her twin food passions, serving up hundreds of recipes, ideas, shopping and cooking tips, health notes, and more. Illustrating the book are full-color photographs throughout that bring readers right into the breathtaking California sunshine.
This is perfect cooking for friends and family, packed with irresistible dishes for weeknight dinners and casual entertaining, festive breakfasts and fall picnics. Recipes are all about the ingredients and their intrinsic qualities, not fancy techniques or time-consuming steps. Marry chicken with three simple accompaniments— rosemary, lemons, and garlic—and it’s transformed. Heighten the flavor of a springtime fava bean and orzo salad with an unexpected fava bean “pesto.” Combine Meyer lemon juice and soy sauce to create a marinade, tenderizer, and sauce that results in a perfect grilled flank steak.
Food to Live By also includes a wealth of information about organic farming and how to make the wisest food choices; there are full-color Field Guides—to gourmet greens, apples, heirloom tomatoes, winter squash—and Farm Fresh ingredient guides to sorrel, corn, melons, avocados, organic poultry, asparagus, artichokes, ginger, and more, featuring what to look for plus care and handling. The book is a boon to food lovers.
402 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2006
40 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 26, 2011
Food to Live By written by Myra Goodman is one of my favorite cookbooks. While I have many, I find that this book offers many recipes that help make use of fresh ingredients that are both healthful and tasty. Each chapter starts out with a story and information about the particular dishes being made and also includes several beautiful clear photographs.
The book starts out as a somewhat biography on how Earthbound Organics (Myra and her husband's business) got started and their first few years of life on a farm where they eventually developed their prepackaged organic greens salads.
The first recipe chapter, It All Began With Raspberries is of course about the delectable little red berry. My favorite recipe from this chapter would be the Raspberry corn Muffins. Easy to make they are very tasty and a big hit at my workplace. They use fresh berries and are sweetened with honey instead of sugar, making them very healthy. But the raspberry chapter isn't just about muffins. It also has recipes for Scones, Jams, Ice Creams and more.
The next chapter is Soup. While all the soups I have made from this book are delicious, they are surprisingly time consuming. When one thinks of soups, easy throw together meals come to mind. Not so with Myra's methods. Her Sweet Corn Chowder, while delicious is very labor intensive. Even the corn is being cut from the cob! The Simply Chicken Soup, despite its name also took quite a bit of time to make. Also a chore in the kitchen, the Savory Split Pea Soup and the Mexican Albondigas soup. Not all were time consuming however, the Hearty Cauliflower Bisque was extremely easy to make. And as I said, all were delicious and well worth the time in the kitchen. This section also featured a field guide to Squash, with 9 different varieties highlighted.
Leafy Green Salads is the next chapter. As someone who just throws salads together I don't use this chapter as much as the rest of the book. It does include a Field Guide to Gourmet Greens which has pictures and descriptions of 25 different kinds of salad greens. It also includes a mini-chapter of Versatile Vinaigrette's, Dips, and Crunchy Nuts; all perfect accompaniments to a salad.
The next chapter explores Meat and Poultry Main Dishes. One of my favorite recipes of this chapter was the Maple-Brinded Pork Chops. It was like eating meat candy and took surprisingly little prep time. This chapter also included a very easy recipe for roasting a chicken. Mine came out looking just as golden and delicious as the full-page picture. Curried Chicken Salad was a unique take on a traditional meat salad and Myra inventively serves hers in avocado halves. One meal I wasn't particularly fond of from this section was the Herbed Turkey Loaf with Honey Mustard Glaze; unfortunately, this loaf fell prey to the usual dry texture that turkey seems to give.
Fish and Shellfish are the next part of the book. Being land-locked I have not made any of these recipes as it seems that to do them justice, fresh seafood would be needed. Most of the recipes look delcious although some, like the Ginger Lime Salmon seem to have a odd unique flavor combination.
The Pasta and Vegetarian Main Dishes is one of my favorite chapters. The Grilled Vegetable Lasagna, while very time consuming, was one of the most delicious lasagnas I've had the experience of eating and the Farm Stand Spinach Cannelloni was easy to make and one of my favorite dishes of all time. The chapter also featured a section on Great Tasting Tomatoes that featured pictures and descriptions on 8 different kinds of tomatoes ranging from green, to red, to yellow. Warning, this chapter also includes several recipes for tofu for those who may not be the biggest fan of the soy substitute.
Chapter 7 covered side dishes. While there is a plethora of recipes in this section, I found some of these the most difficult to make. Due to my relative inexperience with fresh artichokes, the Roasted Balsamic Artichoke Bottoms was a complete flop for me. However, on the opposite side of the spectrum, the Roasted Asparagus, Blue Cheese Smashed Potatoes, and Creamy Potato Gratin were easy to make and very tasty.
Breakfast and Brunch was next. While not a big fan of breakfast I enjoyed several of these recipes. The Spanish Egg "Souffle Cake" was interesting and a very unique way of making breakfast. The Morning Glory Muffins made quite a few and while they used a ton of ingredients, I imagined it was just as healthy as eating a granola bar full of goodies. She also included a whole section on Smoothies in this chapter.
Chapter 9 covered desserts. In this chapter, she included a Field Guide to Apples. 6 different apples were featured with pictures and information. I'm not a dessert fan so I personally haven't made any of these recipes. Although, some of the pictures might be enough to convert me and make me try this section out.
The last chapter is simply titled "The Basics" and is a very handy section for a cook who likes to make everything from scratch. She has recipes for making your own chicken stock (which I now do every time I have leftover chicken parts), flavored vinegars (I have made the raspberry, very easy), Asian sauces such as Teriyaki, and even pie crusts and Matzoh meal.
Overall, the book contains 222 main recipes, although there are several "smaller' recipes that either accompany a main one or showcase a technique. In addition to this, the book has several smaller sections within chapters that explain an ingredient or give a specific technique for preparation.
I have recommended this cookbook to several other people who love it just as much as I do. While some of the recipes may use too many ingredients or be very complicated, the majority showcase easy to obtain ingredients and spectacular flavor.
Review by M. Reynard 2010
The book starts out as a somewhat biography on how Earthbound Organics (Myra and her husband's business) got started and their first few years of life on a farm where they eventually developed their prepackaged organic greens salads.
The first recipe chapter, It All Began With Raspberries is of course about the delectable little red berry. My favorite recipe from this chapter would be the Raspberry corn Muffins. Easy to make they are very tasty and a big hit at my workplace. They use fresh berries and are sweetened with honey instead of sugar, making them very healthy. But the raspberry chapter isn't just about muffins. It also has recipes for Scones, Jams, Ice Creams and more.
The next chapter is Soup. While all the soups I have made from this book are delicious, they are surprisingly time consuming. When one thinks of soups, easy throw together meals come to mind. Not so with Myra's methods. Her Sweet Corn Chowder, while delicious is very labor intensive. Even the corn is being cut from the cob! The Simply Chicken Soup, despite its name also took quite a bit of time to make. Also a chore in the kitchen, the Savory Split Pea Soup and the Mexican Albondigas soup. Not all were time consuming however, the Hearty Cauliflower Bisque was extremely easy to make. And as I said, all were delicious and well worth the time in the kitchen. This section also featured a field guide to Squash, with 9 different varieties highlighted.
Leafy Green Salads is the next chapter. As someone who just throws salads together I don't use this chapter as much as the rest of the book. It does include a Field Guide to Gourmet Greens which has pictures and descriptions of 25 different kinds of salad greens. It also includes a mini-chapter of Versatile Vinaigrette's, Dips, and Crunchy Nuts; all perfect accompaniments to a salad.
The next chapter explores Meat and Poultry Main Dishes. One of my favorite recipes of this chapter was the Maple-Brinded Pork Chops. It was like eating meat candy and took surprisingly little prep time. This chapter also included a very easy recipe for roasting a chicken. Mine came out looking just as golden and delicious as the full-page picture. Curried Chicken Salad was a unique take on a traditional meat salad and Myra inventively serves hers in avocado halves. One meal I wasn't particularly fond of from this section was the Herbed Turkey Loaf with Honey Mustard Glaze; unfortunately, this loaf fell prey to the usual dry texture that turkey seems to give.
Fish and Shellfish are the next part of the book. Being land-locked I have not made any of these recipes as it seems that to do them justice, fresh seafood would be needed. Most of the recipes look delcious although some, like the Ginger Lime Salmon seem to have a odd unique flavor combination.
The Pasta and Vegetarian Main Dishes is one of my favorite chapters. The Grilled Vegetable Lasagna, while very time consuming, was one of the most delicious lasagnas I've had the experience of eating and the Farm Stand Spinach Cannelloni was easy to make and one of my favorite dishes of all time. The chapter also featured a section on Great Tasting Tomatoes that featured pictures and descriptions on 8 different kinds of tomatoes ranging from green, to red, to yellow. Warning, this chapter also includes several recipes for tofu for those who may not be the biggest fan of the soy substitute.
Chapter 7 covered side dishes. While there is a plethora of recipes in this section, I found some of these the most difficult to make. Due to my relative inexperience with fresh artichokes, the Roasted Balsamic Artichoke Bottoms was a complete flop for me. However, on the opposite side of the spectrum, the Roasted Asparagus, Blue Cheese Smashed Potatoes, and Creamy Potato Gratin were easy to make and very tasty.
Breakfast and Brunch was next. While not a big fan of breakfast I enjoyed several of these recipes. The Spanish Egg "Souffle Cake" was interesting and a very unique way of making breakfast. The Morning Glory Muffins made quite a few and while they used a ton of ingredients, I imagined it was just as healthy as eating a granola bar full of goodies. She also included a whole section on Smoothies in this chapter.
Chapter 9 covered desserts. In this chapter, she included a Field Guide to Apples. 6 different apples were featured with pictures and information. I'm not a dessert fan so I personally haven't made any of these recipes. Although, some of the pictures might be enough to convert me and make me try this section out.
The last chapter is simply titled "The Basics" and is a very handy section for a cook who likes to make everything from scratch. She has recipes for making your own chicken stock (which I now do every time I have leftover chicken parts), flavored vinegars (I have made the raspberry, very easy), Asian sauces such as Teriyaki, and even pie crusts and Matzoh meal.
Overall, the book contains 222 main recipes, although there are several "smaller' recipes that either accompany a main one or showcase a technique. In addition to this, the book has several smaller sections within chapters that explain an ingredient or give a specific technique for preparation.
I have recommended this cookbook to several other people who love it just as much as I do. While some of the recipes may use too many ingredients or be very complicated, the majority showcase easy to obtain ingredients and spectacular flavor.
Review by M. Reynard 2010
November 29, 2017
This is one of my favorite go-to cookbooks for both weeknight dinners and special occasion meals. I always seem to discover new recipes in here that I haven’t tried before and every recipe I’ve made has been delicious.
January 17, 2011
I liked the stories about how Earthbound Farms came to be and all of the little sidebar notes and tips. There are a few of the recipes that I'm going to try, but I wasn't overwhelmed with what's in there just because a lot of them have too many steps or ingredients that make them too complicated for me (I'm not much of a cook yet). It did give a great tip on cooking spaghetti squash that I'm excited to try out!
June 20, 2008
This is a great cookbook with an added story of how their family farm came to existence. I loved every bit of it because I've been on a desperate search to eat healthier and find healthier recipes. The story in the beginning was also inspiration to start a business of my own someday and follow my dream. It also has good tidbits on what something means when its certified organic.
September 13, 2007
A really nice collection of organic-inspired recipes (you don't have to use all organic ingredients, but the books promotes it). A lot of nice vegetarian recipes as well, and plenty of meat options to please others.
November 3, 2013
Wonderful cookbook. Tons of photos and tasty, healthy recipes with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. This is not a vegetarian cookbook, but given that the author is a farmer, the emphasis on fruits and vegetables makes sense. One of my favorite cookbooks.
February 16, 2010
I really like this book so far. Some really tasty recipes. However, the way it's organized makes it a little difficult to find recipes, not sure why. Maybe because I'd prefer a photo with every. single. recipe. and this lists multiple recipes per page. ;)
September 10, 2014
This book has some amazing recipes. I love the lemon snaps and the ginger snaps. Oh man! Excellent! I made the granola & my husband loves it! It's a beautiful book. Glossy full color pages and hard cover. Generously sized. Lots of yummy recipes! Very happy I bought this.
February 12, 2016
I love all the Earthbound Farm Cookbooks! This one is loaded with photographs of recipes and helpful articles such as "Field Guide to Great-Tasting Tomatoes" and hints for selecting and using recipe items. I haven't made a recipe from this book that I haven't liked.
February 28, 2008
I poured over this cookbook for a week and read just about every word in it. The photographs are beautiful and the one thing I've had from it(thanks to Kate!)was incredible.
April 10, 2008
This cookbook not only gives great recipes, but lengthy stories of the how and why Earthbond Farms became what it is today. I have visited the farm in Carmel Valley. Beautiful!
November 7, 2008
I love the section on raspberries!
January 13, 2009
Many awesome recipes, and really enjoyed reading how this farm got its start.
October 2, 2009
Attention all cookbook lovers...This is full of great recipes & beautiful photographs. Try the Fusion Coleslaw...YUMMY!
April 1, 2010
Loved this book so much, I gave it to a friend and purchased another one for myself.
June 8, 2010
I didn't relate to the recipes. Earthbound Farm is a corporation and I am skeptical. It was OK
September 25, 2012
The peach pie recipe alone is worth the cost of the book. I just wish there was MORE to this cookbook. There really aren't many recipes, but the ones that are included are excellent.
February 27, 2015
A little pretentious but I found some good recipes in it.
March 18, 2013
What I've tried has been good, esp. granola (modified, of course) -- thanks to the lamented Baking and Books blog and EB
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews