Luay Ghafari’s book, Seed to Table, is a cook book, gardening book, or both. With a focus of feeding your family with nutritious food from a home garden, it includes directions for organically growing, harvesting, and preserving vegetables as well as recipes for using them. Ghafari believes that garden-to-table is a way of life that fosters a closer connection with nature and understanding of the seasonality of of food. He aims to encourage readers to think about the entire life cycle from seed to plant to table, and provides the necessary information to be successful with a home garden, from planting the seeds to enjoying the harvest.
After explaining his garden-to-table philosophy and suggesting ways to plan an abundant garden that increases self-sufficiency, Ghafari provides guides to 21 high yield crops that perform well in small spaces. The crops are divided into two groups: cool weather, and warm weather. Each guide includes a brief description of the crop, reasons for growing it, and information on its growth pattern, cultivation difficulties, suitability for small spaces and balconies, pests and diseases, maintenance, harvest and storage tips, and recommended varieties. Suggestions for recipes using the crop direct the reader to the page where the recipe may be found.
A chapter using the harvest includes recipes and preservation techniques. The recipies features food and drink from garden-inspired libations and snacks to condiments and side dishes to pickling, fermenting. Some of the most appealing recipes are beet, feta, and herb salad, tomato tart, and risotto with spring greens and asparagus. Each recipe includes a short introduction, list of ingredients, step by step numbered directions, and a full page photograph of the finished dish.
The remaining 10 chapters detail the steps in planning a garden, growing techniques, fundamentals of soil, planting seeds and seedling, garden maintenance, and methods of winterizing the garden and extending the growing season. Some topics are basic but others are more innovative like using gutters for planters, lining raised beds with hardware mesh to discourage pests, and using organza wedding favor bags to protect ripening vegetables and fruits. Located throughout the text are QR codes that will take you to Ghafari’s website where additional information can be found. A glossary, list of resources, and index complete the work.
The concept behind Seed to Table reinforces the trend of organic gardening, local resourcing, sustainability, and seasonality of food. The inclusion of recipes is a welcome addition to the subject and provides another layer of usefulness. Additional recipes would be appreciated especially since GHafari is known for his innovative cooking. The crop guides are especially helpful but include some crops like squash, broccoli and tomatillos that are not generally considered suitable for small gardens.
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