As the gates of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show swing open this week, the garden is having its moment — and quite right, too. Natasha MacAller’s new book makes the timely case that what grows out there can do a great deal more than look beautiful…
Chef, educator and herbal expert Natasha MacAller has long championed the idea that the garden and the kitchen are natural allies. In The Apothecary Chef — her third book — she makes a compelling case for showing how herbs, edible flowers and botanicals can support wellbeing as readily as they can elevate a dish. Rosemary, lavender, thyme, mint, sage: the familiar cast of any decent herb garden, are recast here as ingredients with genuine purpose.
Structured around themes — Good for the Gut, Everyday Joy, A Sense of Calm, Longevity & Resilience — the book is practical rather than preachy, and sits squarely within a broader shift towards seasonal eating, mindful living and a more intuitive relationship with what we cook. Whether you tend an acre or a windowsill, MacAller’s approach is refreshingly achievable: no arcane techniques, no hard-to-source ingredients, just a genuine belief that the plants most of us already grow can meaningfully transform the way we eat and feel.
There are contributions, too, from some rather good names — among them Pierre Koffmann, David Lebovitz, Lee Westcott and Honey & Co. — and the photography throughout is as handsome as you’d hope. Every recipe includes several hero ingredients that you can grow, forage or buy, and a directory of 50 edible plants and herbs to grow and cook with is also included. Here’s one to get you started…
Old-fashioned Plum, Apple & Rye Buckle (Serves 6)
A simple stir, spoon and bake fresh fruit pudding; this vintage ‘Buckle’ originated in New England in the 1700s. It is a quick no-fuss solution to use up a summer’s over-abundance of fruit, for when your trees seem to ripen with everything everywhere all at once!
135g (5oz) white wholewheat flour* or plain flour- 60g (2¼oz) rye flour
- 40g (1½oz) masa harina or fine polenta
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, plus extra for sprinkling
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 150g (5½oz) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 75g (2½oz) butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 85ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 30g (1oz) crystallized ginger, chopped
- 3 large juicy plums, about 425g (15oz) in total, halved cut into 1cm (½ inch) thick slices
- 2 small apples, about 425g (15oz) in total, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm (½ inch) thick slices
- 1 tablespoon demerara sugar mixed with ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds
- Greek yogurt or thickened cream, to serve
- edible flowers (optional), to garnish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Liberally coat a 23cm (9 inch) square or oval baking dish with oil.
- Whisk the flours, polenta, baking powder, cardamom and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the lemon zest and rub the sugar with the zest to release the citrus oils.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand whisk, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and lemon sugar until well combined and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the oil, vanilla and ginger, then beat for another 30 seconds. Fold in the flour mixture in 2 stages, beating on low speed until just combined.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared dish. Arrange the plums and apples slightly overlapping on top, pressing them gently into the batter to partially submerge them. Sprinkle the fennel sugar over the top. Bake for 28–32 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (check at 20 minutes to avoid overbaking).
- Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes then, using a serving spoon, scoop the warm buckle into bowls and top with a dollop of Greek yogurt or thickened cream sprinkled with a little ground cardamom. Garnish with edible flowers, if liked.
The Apothecary Chef by Natasha MacAller is available from all good stockists, including Foyles, Hatchards and Waterstones, published by Octopus. For more information, please visit www.dancingchef.net.
