Seed to Plate is an interactive publication that takes new gardeners through the process of growing, preserving and cooking with their own herbs. Created in 10 weeks, I researched, wrote, and illustrated an 89-page book that includes 6 herbs and 24 recipes, along with handmade seed paper and a set of recipe cards.
Seed to Plate was born out of the idea to make a book about plants that could be planted. Seed paper has become a popular option for stationery, but I haven't seen it incorporated into a book before. I took that idea and melded it with my love of cooking to create Seed to Plate. This book introduces new gardeners to the joys of growing your own herbs, and includes the seeds to do so and recipes right in the same book. Herbs are a great first step into vegetable gardening because of their hardiness and size—most herbs can easily be grown in a kitchen window!
Each herb in the book is accompanied by a full spread watercolor illustration along with an introduction to the plant. Basic tips for how to best care for each plant can be found facing the seed paper.. As the seed paper is torn away to be planted, another illustration is revealed, symbolizing the growth from seed to plant. Following that are four recipes that highlight the herb, which are also all accompanied by hand painted illustrations. In the front of the book are instructions about how to use seed paper and how to preserve the eventual harvested herbs. The section at the end includes local resources for further reading, education, and supplies.
The accompanying recipe booklet includes cards for all the recipes in the book, to be kept in the kitchen for easy access or shared with a friend! Accompanying the cards are tear-out plant markers to be placed in the garden when seeds are transplanted to soil.