McVicar Jekka - Jekkas Herb Cookbook: Foreword by Jamie Oliver

Jekka McVicar

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Epub ISBN: 9781448146109
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Published in 2010 by Ebury Press, an imprint of Ebury Publishing

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Text copyright Jekka McVicar 2010

Illustrations copyright Hannah McVicar 2010

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Illustrations: Hannah McVicar

Hardback ISBN 9780091930417

This book is not a medical reference book nor is it a substitute or to be relied on for medical, healthcare, or pharmaceutical advice. Please consult your GP before changing, stopping or starting any medical treatment. The author and the publisher disclaim as far as the law allows any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use, or misuse, of the information and suggestions contained in this book.

Dedicated to
my grandmother Ruth,
my mother Clare
and
my daughter Hannah

For the first time, queen of herbs Jekka McVicar offers over 350 original recipes using her top 50 garden herbs.

Jekkas knowledge and passion for herbs is unrivalled. This book, featuring a chapter devoted to each herb, shows you how to grow and maintain your own; how to preserve them for later use; what to do with a glut and how to make the most of it; and how herbs can transform your cooking.

With stunning illustrations by Jekkas daughter, Hannah McVicar, and a foreword by Jamie Oliver, this is a truly unique and beautiful volume that will be treasured by growers and cooks alike.

Ive known the lovely Jekka for many years now and she is passionate about many things in life, but especially herbs. Without fail, each time I see her I learn something new about these wonderful plants. Jekka believes herbs are one of the best things in the world and after listening to her rave about their many benefits you cant help but agree with her.

Not only does she know loads about growing, cooking and storing herbs, she is also full of good information about how they can make you feel. I have no doubt that if more people were into growing and cooking their own herbs on a regular basis wed be well on our way to having a happier and healthier country.

Jekka really is the herb queen of England in my books, yet she doesnt just know about the herbs we commonly enjoy in this country, she also knows about herbs from all around the world. If youre a foodie geek like me, youll always find yourself ordering the newcomers to the ever-increasing collection at her farm.

In this day and age, varieties of herbs we used to think of as quite exotic are readily available in our local supermarkets. Whats exciting and clever about what Jekka has done with this book is that shes focused on a hit-list: her top 50 cooking herbs of all time, and gives you delicious and exciting ways of using them. If you use herbs on a regular basis, youll have tastier food and be a healthier person and I have no doubt youll enjoy them and find Jekkas many practical hints and tips incredibly useful, as I have done over the years. Her book is a great start to finding serious solutions to good, exciting eating.

Jamie Oliver

My passion for herbs has evolved over 50 years it started before I went to school. My mother, who was a keen grower of herbs and vegetables, to the extent that we were self-sufficient, had a herb bed that contained over 25 different herbs. There was lemon thyme, French tarragon, dill, horseradish and spearmint, to name but a few. She was always bottling, preserving and baking. She taught me which mint to pick to make mint sauce and then how to prepare it, and for a number of years this was my special contribution to the Sunday meal. When I was at school I had what was called a garden plot, now known as an allotment, where I grew salads, including purslane and rather awful radishes, which I proudly brought home for the family to eat.

When I started work, I was working in television often on short contracts and in-between jobs I ended up working at Tumblers Bottom Herb Farm. I thought I knew a lot about herbs, thanks to my mothers garden, but soon realised I knew nothing. I became fascinated by the different varieties of herb at the farm and with this burgeoning knowledge and access to new plants my personal herb garden in Bristol expanded rapidly. It was from this garden that the idea for Jekkas Herb Farm originated. I was at home with my two small children one day when a girlfriend came round and asked if she could have some French tarragon. I told her to help herself and it dawned on me that she could not buy it anywhere yet I could grow it. Within a few months my husband and I had converted our small back garden into a mini organic herb farm and had started to supply local greengrocers and a garden centre with organic culinary pot herbs. Within a year I needed more space as it was becoming difficult to keep up with demand so we moved the farm to our present site in South Gloucestershire. The business has grown from there and in the early 1990s we started exhibiting organic culinary and medicinal herbs at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) flower shows where we have now been awarded over 60 RHS gold medals. There are currently over 650 different species of herb being grown at the farm, which we supply to our customers throughout the UK, mainly via mail order.

My interest in herbs is ever increasing and I am particularly fascinated by their incredible versatility. Herbs have long been a part of our history, yet we often remain wary of utilising them to their full potential. Not only do herbs impart flavour, aroma and texture to cooking, they are also beneficial to our diet and have medicinal and even household uses. It is well documented, for example, that thyme contains antiseptic oils, which counteract decay and contamination, sage contains a natural preservative, which prolongs the shelf life of food, and aniseed-flavoured herbs, such as French tarragon, help the digestion of fatty foods.

In this book I have limited myself to talking about my top 50 culinary herbs. These range from the well loved and well known parsley and rosemary to the more exotic curry leaf and Vietnamese coriander. All the herbs chosen are ones that I grow on my herb farm and have used for many years in the kitchen. There is a chapter devoted to each herb and within it you will learn how that herb is grown, its culinary benefits and what different varieties are available, before discovering the recipes that I hope will entice you to cook with it. I have also included a section entitled Excess Bay/Dill etc. because there are times of the year when one has a glut of a specific herb and no idea how to preserve or harvest it for the winter months. My aim is to illustrate the wide range of herbs now available, how you can combine different herbs, and how they can be used, not only in savoury dishes but to make delightful desserts.