5-Star Review of "Amish Friends Harvest Cookbook"

Review of Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Harvest Cookbook

Over 240 Recipes for Using and Preserving the Bounty of the Land

Overloaded with garden produce, CSA shares, or farmers’ market finds? Now you’ll know what the Amish do with these seasonal fruits and vegetables and how they preserve some of them for future use. Bring the wisdom of Amish gardeners and cooks into your own home with dozens of recipes and tips from the heart of Amish country in Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Harvest Cookbook. This well-organized book is sure to become a treasured resource.

MY REVIEW:   Never again will you find more delicious ways to cook, prepare, and preserve the vegetables, meats, fruits, herbs, pasta, and even weeds than in this cookbook.  Scripture verses are interspersed throughout the recipe book.   There is a section on how to use weeds, yes, weeds...for cooking, medicinal purposes, and more!   There is a section on planting according to the signs of nature.   There is a large section on how to make your own natural fertilizers, insect repellants, and more.  And of course, there are many delicious recipes included in this lovely cookbook.  Richard Brunstetter's exceptional photography skills are showcased as he provided many of his photographs to illustrate his wife's collection.  In addition to recipes, there is a section on home canning, freezing, and jams, jelly and pickle making.   Readers are cautioned in this section to know what they are doing and encouraged to take a course if they are unfamiliar with home canning and/or home canning equipment.   They are also cautioned that the Amish recipes are not always USDA approved and recommendations are given to avoid possible food poisoning.

           This is a beautiful book with a sturdy cover and spiral binding.   The photographs contained in the book depict some of the Amish gardeners and gardens readers are enthralled with as well as over 240 recipes.  The recipes will have you drooling and heading to the kitchen to gather ingredients to get started.   There are recipes for Jackson salad, Summer Garden Chili, Frogmore Stew, Pickled Eggs and Red Beets, Peach Bavarian Mold, Bundt Zucchini Cake, Fried Blossoms, Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers, Ginger Ale, Canned Cantaloupe, Hot Garlic Dill Pickles, Onion Relish, and Frozen Popcorn and Slush among many others.   Wanda's Amish friends have shared their tried and true recipes with us and the love they include in each recipe is felt on every page. 

         I rated this book 5 stars and give it the highest of recommendations.

         I received a copy of this book from netgalley and the author in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author:

A nationally recognized authority on the Amish community, Wanda E. Brunstetter has sold more than seven million copies of her fiction and nonfiction books. Wanda enjoys an uncommon kinship with the Amish and continues to visit their communities throughout the country. Her books have won numerous awards and topped several bestselling charts.