HERB, by Mark Diacono

 A book review

Whilst I have never been a smoker, I can understand instinctively the reference to the importance of a cigarette paper on page 64, describing the hair's breadth separation between oregano and marjoram.  Reminscences about rollups in bus shelters rarely figure in food writing.  

This is a book, not about bad habits and memories, dried leaves and paper, but about herbs, vibrant, verdant, fresh and yes, dried. It is about their place in the garden, the window box, the back step or the window sill and their role in the kitchen; but it is so much more.  Mark's writing is sublime, this book ranks as a good read whether or not you are a gardener or a cook.  Anything we write about it will pale in comparison, but try we must!

I wrote this review, sitting on a hotel terrace, surrounded by four strategically placed bay trees.  It was earlier this summer in Scotland, so although there was sun, the heat was far from Mediterranean, unlike now, but the waft of lavender and the persistent buzz of the bees echo the opening lines of HERB; "I'm sitting within an incomplete ring of pots, each full of herbs, their flowers alive with pollinators, the sun flashing bright as I scribe".

As a gardener and cook, as well as a writer, Mark is well qualified to take you from plot, or pot, to plate and whilst it may amount to less than a single page, to my mind one of the most useful entries in the book is the section on "Choosing what to grow".  With an ever increasing range of fresh and dried herbs available in the supermarket and farm shop, even in rural Shropshire, the frankly mind numbing selection of plants on specialist websites* and limited growing space at home, advice and guidance on the best options to maximise herbal gratification and minimise horticultural disaaster are more than welcome.

"if you were expecting to see lemon balm: NO"

Once these fundamental decisions have been made, Mark guides the reader through two distinct sets of herb skills; firstly describing garden skills, such as sowing from seed and propagation, through to picking the end result.

And then, logically enough, into the kitchen; there are more ways to chop and store your herbs than you have hitherto considered, I'll wager.

Moving on, the excitement grows - sorry about the pun, with a comprehensive directory of herbs to grow and eat.  More than a simple list, each description paints a picture, effervesces with enthusiasm and quite frankly, is less than helpful in restricting your choice - I want them all.

"Anise hyssop (ours is just coming into flower) looks like the offspring of a one night stand mint had with a nettle". Sadly there is no back story about how mint and nettle got it on, but it was an intriguing enough introduction to make me read on.

By now, you should have your herb patch planned out and you can step into the recipe section. 

Disclaimer: this review is in no way coloured by the appearance of Mark's Netherton pan in some of these recipes, page 155 for example😊

Green is now my favourite colour, leaping out of every shot, as refreshing as a cold beer on a hot summer evening.

Among our favourites, and it is very hard to choose, is the dill, lemon and green bean pilaf.  The description of it being "crazily moreish", is if anything, an understatement.  The only way I can justify my greedy approach to this dish is to convince myself that is is good for me!.

There is so much to love about this book, but the love does not reside solely between the covers.

Mark is "offering HERB at four prices. We want to ensure that those who might benefit most from the book are able to get their hands on it, so you can pay whichever suits you." 

If you have wanted more from your herbs than a parsley garnish, then anything you spend on this book, will be a true investment.

* is "herbporn" a thing?

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2021 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

SOUR: Gobsmackingly good

"Unenthusiastically wash the outside of the pineapple" p262; the modern day equivalent of "first catch your hare", apparently a misquotation from Georgian food writer Hannah Glasse and a phrase that should be committed to the annals of food writing folklore.

This is just one of the stand out lines in Mark Diacono's latest book, Sour;  lipsmackingly lyrical, making you wish that the pages themselves were edible, such is the saliva stimulating content thereof.
Page after page of glorious writing, luring you away from the shallow temptation of sweetness, recipes seducing you to the delights of sour.
And as well as the recipes, the pleasure of discussion ranging from the banality and addictiveness of salt and vinegar crisps; the nerdy scientist appeal of kombucha and fermentation, with the ever present promise of a potential explosion; hippy, now hipster sourdough bread and the slap of a truly mouth tingling cocktail.  

I am dipping in and out of this, learning so much, following the trails left by Mark generously leading to other authors, other authorities and planning on making so very many of the recipes.

This is writing of pure joy, an author sharing his deep love of his subject, leading you line by line through a new world of flavour and taste experiences.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2019 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

A day at Otter Farm 2

Chapter 2.
Arrival

We are early.
Progress down the M5 can be as swift and smooth as sugar spilling out of a split bag or as frustratingly slow as a watched kettle.  Today it has been a straightforward journey, the workman-less roadworks are under populated and traffic is moving apace.
Even a "Road closed " sign just outside our target village did not impede our journey - the closure, such as it was, being approximately 30m beyond the entrance to Otter Farm.

Now I would always rather be early than late, but too early is no better mannered in my view than late. So we park, out of the way, in a farm entrance and steel ourselves to listen to the 9 o'clock news on Radio 4. So far, Donald Trump has not blown anything up (besides Obamacare grrrr) and 9 more people have been rescued from the avalanche hit hotel in Italy.

It's going to be a good day.

We refer to our instructions and pull into a lay by.
"This is it," I confidently announce.
"How can you tell? Are you sure?"
"Look over the gate"
"That's  it?"

Oh yes, that, very definitely, is IT.
Otter Farm, star of Grand Designs, partially financed by a hugely successful Crowdfunding campaign that had me and many, many more dipping their hands in to their pockets, enthused and inspired by Mark and Candida's vision, is unmistakeable.

Distinctive, arresting, a fascinating combination of traditional methods, materials and crafts providing the structure for a thing of contemporary beauty and functionality.
It's only as I write this that I realise I could, on a smaller scale, be describing our cookware.  Never off the job!

Minutes later and Candida is opening the gates and welcoming us, more than happy to let Neil gawp in admiration at these awesome buildings.  Awesome, a word hijacked and abused by a generation, really is the right word to use here, the house and cookery school leaving us wonder-struck and marvelling at both their physical beauty and creative construction.

Neil leaves, off to visit Devon dwelling family. I enter the house and as the front door closes behind me, the day really does begin.  MY DAY.

© Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2017

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk