Leaf

Leaf is a celebration of edible leaves in all their versatility.

Purely in terms of flavour they offer immense variety – bitterness, pungency, pepper, citrus, sweetness. And visually leaves are a riot of colour and texture – from the palest shades of white and yellow, through to the deepest, darkest greens, via rich purples, reds and pinks. Leaves can be tightly furled torpedoes or bullets, floppy with a peony blowsiness, spiky, crinkly, curly, delicate and feathery. They range from the tiniest of microherbs to huge elephant ears, a meal in a leaf.

From lettuce and herbs, through cabbages and even tea, Catherine Phipps explores the world of culinary leaves through meticulous research, evocative writing and foolproof recipes. With recipes taking in soups, salads, brunches, starters, mains, puddings, baking, preserves and drinks, this is the complete, definitive book of cooking with leaves of all kinds.