The Apothecary Chef

Whether harvested in far-away fields, gathered at the local farmers market, pulled from a garden bed or plucked from the kitchen windowsill, herbs and plants have the ability to elevate and enhance our food and health. The Apothecary Chef is a celebration of the fragrance and flavour they impart, and a guide to incorporating them into your cooking and kitchen garden.

Natasha MacAller has collaborated with a team of more than 25 international award-winning chefs, from April Bloomfield and The Sioux Chef in the USA, to David Leibovitz in Paris and Pierre Koffmann in London, to gather and create recipes, each with several hero ingredients that nourish, sustain and delight. Chapters include Good for the Gut, Everyday Joy, A Sense of Calm, Immunity Boosters, Longevity & Resilience and Breath & Balance. From starters, salads and soups to mains, pestos, chutneys and desserts, recipes include a Spring Pea, Petal and Pea Shoot Salad, a Slow-Cooked Peppercorn Lamb Shank and Spiced Nectarines. Each chapter includes delicious, nature-inspired dishes for optimum wellbeing.

Alongside the recipes is a directory of 50 herbs and plants, each one illustrated, that explores the myths, truths and medicinal benefits of each plant. Natasha shares tips and ideas for growing them yourself, in whatever space you have available. There are also features on harvesting and storing local edibles, plus where to purchase hard-to-find ingredients. The book is completed with a recipe index, a herbs and plants index and details of the chef contributors.

More than 25 Contributing chefs include Pierre Koffman, Lee Westcott, Sean Sherman (The Sioux Chef), Elizabeth Falkner, Ben Shewry, Sarah Johnson, Maria Kalenska, Olia Hercules, Nancy Silverton, Allan Altschul, (The Newt), Cyrus Todiwala, Roger Pizey (Fortnum & Mason), Olia Hercules, April Bloomfield, Peter Gordon, David Lebovitz, Honey & Co, Julia Komp, Rudolph van Veen and more.