Graze

Grazing is an enchanting way to eat. It means skipping from dish to dish, tasting different things without committing to a single one. It’s about creating multiple dishes that work together as a meal, that all share a theme, an aesthetic. When she entertains, or even pulls together a quick dinner for just two, food stylist Suzanne Lenzer enjoys this tapas-style of eating―and with her guidance, you can too. When it comes to making small plates at home, start with cheese and charcuterie, but then combine this classic with a few easy dishes that make a meal special. Try your hand at fun, fast recipes like chickpea fries with Meyer lemon-scented aioli; roasted beet tartare with cheese and pistachios; kale, spinach, and Pecorino pizza slivers; sardine bruchetta with fennel and preserved lemons; scallop and plum ceviche with tarragon; and lemon-lavender posset―to name just a few. Making delicious, beautiful dishes and snacks for grazing, whether for two or twelve, doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. Graze is full of tips to help you prepare healthy, wholesome, and appetizing food without spending hours in the kitchen.

Grazing management might seem simple: just put livestock in a pasture and let them eat their fill. However, as Sarah Flack explains in The Art and Science of Grazing, the pasture/livestock relationship is incredibly complex. If a farmer doesn't pay close attention to how the animals are grazing, the resulting poorly managed grazing system can be harmful to the health of the livestock, pasture plants, and soils. Well-managed pastures can instead create healthier animals, a diverse and resilient pasture ecosystem, and other benefits. Flack delves deeply below the surface of "let the cows eat grass," demonstrating that grazing management is a sophisticated science that requires mastery of plant and animal physiology, animal behavior, and ecology. She also shows readers that applying grazing management science on a working farm is an art form that calls on grass farmers to be careful observers, excellent planners and record-keepers, skillful interpreters of their observations, and creative troubleshooters. The Art and Science of Grazing will allow farmers to gain a solid understanding of the key principles of grazing management so they can both design and manage successful grazing systems. The book's unique approach presents information first from the perspective of pasture plants, and then from the livestock perspective--helping farmers understand both plant and animal needs before setting up a grazing system. This book is an essential guide for ruminant farmers who want to be able to create grazing systems that meet the needs of their livestock, pasture plants, soils, and the larger ecosystem. The book discusses all the practical details that are critical for sustained success: how to set up a new system or improve existing systems; acreage calculations; paddock layout; fence and drinking water access; lanes and other grazing infrastructure; managing livestock movement and flow; soil fertility; seeding and reseeding pastures; and more. The author includes descriptions of real grazing systems working well on dairy, beef, goat, and sheep farms in different regions of North America. The book covers pasture requirements specific to organic farming, but will be of use to both organic and non-organic farms.

From beloved Chicago restaurateur Stephanie Izard, named one of "10 Breakthrough Rock Star Chefs of 2016" by Rolling Stone, comes a cookbook with flavor and fun at the forefront, with more than 100 recipes and 100 photographs. Since becoming Top Chef's first female winner, Stephanie Izard opened three restaurants in Chicago, traveled around China, and became an Iron Chef. And now she's here to share her next adventure: a cookbook with recipes that hit all of the right salty, savory, tangy, and sweet notes. Her craveable, knockout food pairings--the ones her fans have been clamoring for--will surprise and delight any home cook: Banh Mi Burgers, Duck Breast with Brown Butter Kimichi, Roasted Shishito Peppers with Sesame Miso and Parmesan, and Sticky Sweet Potato Cake with Blueberry-Tomatillo Jam.