Cook What Grows
Seasonal Recipes & Gardening Wisdom for Everyday Eating
Cooking feels different when you begin with what’s growing around you. 100 seasonal recipes and garden advice coming June 15, 2027 from Ten Speed Press.
Preorder your copy
A Note from Carmen
Hi friends,
This is the book I have been quietly working on for the last few years. I have put my entire heart and soul into making this the best cookbook possible. I finally get to say: Cook What Grows comes out June 15, 2027.
It is not a gardening manual or a lifestyle manifesto. It is a cookbook. One hundred recipes I actually cook for my family and friends, organized by the way we move through a day rather than by the calendar. You will find my mom’s chicken adobo, Nick’s matzo ball soup, the frittata I make with spring’s bounty, and the cocktails for the end of the day. You will also find the garden knowledge I wish someone had handed me when I first started out.
You do not need a garden to cook from this book. You need a little curiosity, some attention to what is in season, and a willingness to let good ingredients lead the way. Preordering, from any of the shops above, is the single most helpful thing you can do for a first-time author. Thank you for being here from the very beginning. This book would not exist without your support.
xo, Carmen
About the Book
Immerse yourself in the simple magic of everyday cooking and living through 100 seasonal, garden-forward recipes, from Carmen Perr of Carmen in the Garden.
After growing up in a busy household where drive-thru dinners and microwave meals were the norm, Carmen Perr came to see food as more than just fast fuel when she first planted herbs on the balcony of her college apartment. Her debut cookbook, Cook What Grows, invites home cooks to savor the details, connect with nature, and rediscover the joy of slowing down in a world where mealtime is often rushed and forgettable.
Through seasonal recipes and thoughtful, poetic guidance, Carmen shows not just what to cook, but how to root those choices in the rhythms of real life. Organized by the shape of a day rather than by season, Cook What Grows gently dismantles the idea that seasonal eating is expensive, time-consuming, or out of reach, offering practical gardening wisdom alongside 100 nourishing, flexible recipes that prioritize produce, flavor, and resourcefulness.
More than a collection of recipes and stunning food and lifestyle photographs, Cook What Grows is a tender guide to living well. With reflections on cooking, composting, growing, and gathering woven throughout, Carmen reminds us that meals are acts of care—for ourselves and for those we feed.
This is not a cookbook that demands perfection. It asks you to be present: to notice what’s in season, cook with intention, and fill your table with beautiful, uncomplicated food.
What’s Inside?
Six chapters, organized by the shape of the day
- Before the Day Begins: Spring Frittata with Asparagus, Leeks & Chives; Tortang Talong (Filipino Eggplant Omelet); Lemon Dutch Baby with Blueberry Compote; Miso & Mushroom Oats with Jammy Eggs. Garden Guide: Planning Your Garden.
- Small Plates, Big Flavor: Basil, Feta & Pistachio Dip; Oregano-Marinated Feta; Chive Gougères; Brown Butter Sage White Bean Dip. Garden Guide: Growing Herbs in Pots.
- Where Vegetables Lead: Snap Peas & Burrata with Crispy Shallots; Brothy Spring Pea Orzo; Whipped Eggplant & Pine Nut Brittle; Gingered Sweet Potato Soup. Garden Guide: How to Start Composting.
- What We Gather For: Mom’s Sticky Chicken Adobo with Green Beans; Spiced Eggplant & Lamb Pappardelle; Nick’s Super-Herby Matzo Ball Soup; Slow-Braised Short Rib & Bean Tacos with Root Veggie Slaw. Garden Guide: Building Relationships at the Market.
- Fruitful Endings: Chamomile Carrot Cake with Whipped Mascarpone; Stone Fruit & Thyme Galette; Brown Butter Persimmon Spoon Cakes; Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies. Garden Guide: The Backyard Orchard.
- Seasonal Sips: Strawberry-Basil Shrub; Bay Leaf Lime Gimlet; Passion Fruit Pisco Sour; Burnt Orange Toddy. Garden Guide: Preserving the Garden.
Each chapter opens with an essay and includes a garden guide with practical growing advice, for tending a backyard plot or a few containers on a patio.
Get Yours Today
On sale June 15, 2027. Preorder now from any of these retailers.
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