It was interesting to read about these unusual edible plants - how to grow them, how to harvest and store them, how to cook and eat them. Not many actually sounded very appetizing, though, so not sure how useful this book really was for me.

This book covers some of the more uncommon types of plants that you can garden. While I am not quite as ambitious nor adventurous when it comes to the foods I eat right now, it was still interesting to learn about them. I enjoyed the sections on the trees, grapes, chives, and several of the other plants mentioned the most. I think this will be a great book for anyone who is more adventurous, but not the greatest for the beginner gardener who wants to grow fruit, vegetables, and nuts that they already eat.

I will be checking into more by this author in the future as they were very knowledgable and explained things thoroughly and in an easy-to-understand manner.

Book Review: The Curious Kitchen Gardener by Linda Ziedrich

Rating: 4 Stars

I recently had the pleasure of diving into "The Curious Kitchen Gardener: Uncommon Plants and How to Eat Them" by Linda Ziedrich, and it was quite the informative read! As someone who has always been fascinated by kitchen gardening, this book felt like a breath of fresh air, offering both practical advice and a touch of whimsy.

In "The Curious Kitchen Gardener," Linda Ziedrich invites us into her world of gardening, where she explores the often-overlooked treasures that can thrive right in our backyards. With the expertise of a Master Food Preserver and Gardener, she introduces readers to nearly 35 unique plants that can easily be cultivated at home. What sets this book apart is how it intertwines the seasonal rhythms of planting and harvesting with mouthwatering recipes that showcase these uncommon edibles. Ziedrich shares personal anecdotes and cultural context around each plant, making the journey through her garden feel like a cozy chat between friends. It’s not just about growing food; it’s about creating a lifestyle that embraces the joys of seasonal eating.

I found "The Curious Kitchen Gardener" to be an intriguing exploration of kitchen gardening as a lifestyle choice. The author does an excellent job of detailing 35 fascinating plants, providing insights into which parts are edible and which ones to avoid. Her approach encourages experimentation with climate and soil conditions, emphasizing the importance of growing what flourishes in your garden.

What really struck me was her perspective on integrating edible plants with ornamental ones—many flowers we admire can actually be delicious! I’ve always had a passion for cultivating edible and perennial plants, but I struggled with how to utilize them effectively. The guidance on preparing these unique vegetables and fruits has been incredibly enlightening. She not only shares cooking ideas and recipes but also inspires a sense of adventure in the kitchen.

Overall, this book is an absolute pleasure to read. It’s packed with useful information, beautiful photos, and a generous sprinkle of inspiration to get you excited about your own kitchen garden. If you’re looking to expand your culinary repertoire and make your garden a source of unique edible delights, Linda Ziedrich’s "The Curious Kitchen Gardener" is definitely worth picking up!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

What a gorgeous book! This is a perfect addition to gardeners looking for unique plants and varieties to grow, with in-depth stories and descriptions of them. Each section also has interesting recipes that feature the plant. I learned how to use radish seeds, chicory, bitter melon, scarlet runner beans, orach, and lots of other edibles! It's full of vibrant and inspiring photographs as well. Overall a perfect addition to any gardener's shelf!

Thank you to the author, Timber Presss and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This combination gardening and recipe book has an interesting premise - featuring plants that are not so well-known, with several pages each on the plant and then an accompanying recipe. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of information on garden zones or temperature ranges, and overall it was very US-centric (I live in Germany), so I'm dubious about how much I would actually be able to implement. I also would have preferred more recipes, the ones included did not really appeal to me. Overall, an interesting read, I applaud the approach and am inspired to forage more.

The word "curious" never fails to grab my attention. The Curious Kitchen Gardener is an intriguing look at Kitchen gardening as a lifestyle. Not only does the author provide information on 33 interesting plants (describing each part that can and cannot be used) but also includes cooking ideas and recipes. She has moved a few times and lives in gorgeous Oregon where winters are mild and nature is bountiful. She explains adapting to climate and soil conditions, growing what does well, experimenting with new and unuque cultivars, harvesting and eating tasty weeds, enjoying mushrooms you are 100% certain of, benefits of kitchen gardening, and allowing edible plants to grow amongst ornamentals. As a bonus, many ornamentals are edible.

As a curious master gardener, this book is my wheelhouse. I live and garden in two very parts of the world in zones 2a (aka brutal winters) and 8b (warm Mediterranean). Zone 2a requires a tremendous amount of coaxing and hoping. But if plants (some listed in this book) can grow there, they can grow almost anywhere.

I am fortunate that the Mediterranean is rich in cultivated and wild foods from my front door. I have knowledge about each of the plants except rat-tail radishes which I am keen to find but have not tried cooking with them all. Roasting other radishes is my favourite cooking method. I attest to the deliciousness of violet jelly and green walnut liqueur, lavender syrup and lemonade (plus lavender ice cream!). The recipes look delectable and amongst the first I will try include Haskaps Chutney, Rose-Alpine Strawberry Jam, Citron-Melon Compote, Roasted Quinces and Sweet Potatoes, and Jerusalem Artichoke Chips.

This book has inspired me to take a closer look at the plants around me with fresh eyes. Why not use more dandelion greens, wild fennel, violets and garlic chives which grow so prolifically? They are pesticide free, fresh and delicious, not to mention free for the taking!

Gardening and cooking go hand-in-hand and for those that enjoy exploring rare or unusual oddities, extending this to cultivating various edible items in the garden is a logical next step (though maybe not as common as you might expect!)

This book takes a look at various foodstuffs that can be grown in North American gardens, with a specific lens from a Pacific Northwest garden (though highly generalizable for many spaces and regions). The author is clearly passionate about exploring what can grow and thrive in their garden with an almost juvenile excitement and interest in trying new things that are not common in our region, but nonetheless are delicious. For each food item, there is background and growing information from a gardening perspective, followed by the cooking stories and a recipe for how to enjoy the harvest.

I loved this book. I was excited to see many crops that I have tried growing in my garden (shiso, poppies), some that I will be planting this year (honeyberries, runner beans), and others that I had never heard of but are on my list to try in the future specifically because of this book (orach, walking onions). If I think about this book as a gardening book, I wish there had been a little bit more about where these crops would thrive, such as gardening zones, and a little bit more caution about not planting some of these plants due to their invasiveness in specific regions. On the other hand, if I think about this book as a cooking book, I wish there had been more than one recipe per crop. There was extensive variety in the types of recipes included and they sounded delicious, but having only one recipe per plant doesn't help me understand the range of foodstuffs I am not familiar with.

Overall, I really enjoyed the humor throughout the book and the depth and variety of plants included. I look forward to expanding my garden to include these and have already recommended plants to my family!

*I would like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

The Curious Kitchen Gardener by Linda Ziedrich is a delightful dive into rare and underappreciated plants—many I’d never heard of before! From blue-fruited honeysuckle and magenta-leaf orach to Makah Ozette potatoes and mucilaginous melon, each plant comes with a fascinating backstory on how it arrived in the U.S., insights from gardeners growing it, and recipes to bring it to your table. While it feels like a cookbook, it’s just as much about gardening—how to grow, harvest, and make the most of these unique varieties. Plus, it includes seed sources, which is key since growing from seed is far more cost-effective than buying mature plants. My favorite aspect is that overall, it’s an invitation to explore the world of kitchen gardens—something that, for some reason, is rarely part of the discussion about food security and sourcing in this country. One note: Many of these plants thrive in temperate climates, so some might be annuals in colder zones. A great addition to any home gardener’s collection! And I know I’ll be ordering a physical copy for my own collection.

I was blown away by this book. Seriously. I have never heard of some of these plants much less eaten them. The author does a fantastic job of sharing historical/cultural information about the plants. Whether or not I will ever plant them, I was intrigued by what the author shared. I appreciated that specific varieties were mentioned along with suppliers. I have been growing raised beds the past three years and I found the list of suppliers in the back very helpful. I'm happy I knew many of them but have found some new companies to try. I didn't focus on the recipes so I can't comment on their quality but the rest of the book is outstanding.

Wow! This book proves why you shouldn't just go off a title, also read the description. I was thinking this would be a cute book about some small plants you could grow in the kitchen, but turned out to be a full-fledged garden filled with unusual plants. (This was my own fault because there was even a subtitle of 'Uncommon Plants and How to Eat Them')

I am glad to have made this mistake because this book was a fun surprise with a wealth of information. This book covered unusual plants, such as Magenta Leaf Orach, Bamboo, and Leaves of the Grapevine. It still kept me in my comfort zone by throwing in more common vegetables, such as Artichokes and Collard Greens.

As the author warns in the beginning this book is more about the garden than it is about the kitchen. She still provides at least one recipe for each vegetable, but where this book really stands out is the profile she creates about each vegetable. Each vegetable gets 2-3 pages dedicated to it's origin history and her own personal experience growing them. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and learned a lot. I think this book is a great read and I'll have to pick up some of her other books to try out.

I received this book as a free eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolute pleasure to read. I have long been interested in growing things in my garden that are edible and perennial, but wasn’t sure how to make use of them, or really, anything about them. Linda Ziedrich talks about 34 different types of edible vegetables/fruits and more importantly, how to prepare them! I already have a few of these in my backyard, but this book convinced me to seek out and try some new things.

Her relatable and conversational style of writing made it feel like I was talking gardening with someone in my backyard. I’m going to try collards and orach as landscape elements that I can also eat, and when my violets come up next spring I have more reasons to enjoy them. The book is also beautifully laid out and photographed and that is a joy unto itself.

If you like growing your own food and are interested in food history, this is a fantastic read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the advance copy!

I was excited to read this book as a life long gardener and adventurous home cook. First of all the photos are lovely. Not only were they clear and practical but they added a bit of cottage core charm. I plan to try these pickled radish pods she spoke about. I grow radishes every year but never thought to eat the pods. This book would make a lovely gift for a cook who likes plants. I feel like I will want to keep this on my shelf to reference during garden and meal planning.
*This book was received as an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you NetGaley and Timer Press!

The Curious Kitchen Gardener is a graphically appealing and well written volume full of unusual/rare/little known plants for gardeners with recipes written by Linda Ziedrich. Due out 25th February 2025 from Hachette on their Timber Press imprint, it's 268 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a fun collection of 33 lesser known or not-currently-popular edible plants, fruits, tubers, and vegetables collected in an almanac format by chapters for each plant. The plants include well known plants which are used for other purposes (lavender, poppies) as well as plants which *should* be much more popular and utilized (haskap, artichoke, Makah Ozette potatoes and others).

Each chapter includes specifics about the history and background of each plant, along with photos (in most, but not all cases), along with a recipe utilizing the fruit/veg/flowering part of each plant. Recipes are varied and interesting, and most of the other ingredients will be easily available from any well stocked grocery store in North America.

One drawback with the book is that the author does not include culture info for the entries, so it's not clear (without further investigation) what climate ranges the plants will do well in. The author/publisher have included a short seed and plant supplier list to get readers started on sourcing plants and supplies.

Four stars. Well photographed and full of inspiration for gardeners to explore and stretch their gardening muscles. It would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, gardening groups, smallholders, and gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

While informative, this book is a bit niche for the average gardener. This seems like a good book for more advanced home gardeners, or as a reference for those interested in homesteading.

Many of these vegetables I've never really seen or eaten, so it was great to have the gardening tips and recipes together. This absolutely got me fired up for my garden in the spring@

This book was not at all what I expected. I think I was looking for tips on growing the more traditional kitchen foods in nontraditional places, such as back porches, decks, patios, and balconies. As someone who no longer has a lot of space for gardening, but retains the passion, I was hoping to learn how to maximize my space by growing things that I use.

While I found this book very interesting and well written, I could not relate to 50% of the rather outré crops the author was growing, and as a consequence, didn’t find a lot of the recipes to be relatable. That’s not to say that I won’t be trying any of them because I will, largely I was just disappointed that the content didn’t meet my expectations.

This is an interesting book. I wouldn’t recommend it for a beginner gardener, but for the advanced or as the title suggests, curious, it is good. There are lots of recipes and a brief history of each plant. I love it because I’m an avid gardener and I would absolutely grow some of the plants that would work in this climate.
I’ll give it a 3.5 stars (rounded down) because I love supporting the less popular plants, but it’s a slightly niche book that doesn’t necessarily scream accessible for a lot of people.

*The Curious Kitchen Gardener* by Linda Ziedrich invites gardeners and cooks to explore overlooked edibles from their gardens. Featuring nearly 35 unique plants, seasonal tips, recipes, and cultural insights, this book inspires a year-round approach to gardening and cooking, blending novelty with practicality to create a distinct, garden-to-table cuisine.

A Pleasure to Read
The approach of listing a plant immediately followed by a recipe works well. Reading about the community of gardening and the intensity of much of the research was eye opening. I admire her persistence in finding the happy spot for her plants throughout the years and many moves. I learned so much about plants that I have grown for years such as garlic chives and collard greens. Will be making several of the recipes.

Fantastic information, great recipes, and gorgeous photos. Perfect for the home chef that wants to learn more about something new to eat.