I've been anxiously awaiting my copy of Drinking the Summer Garden since I first heard the announcement it was available to order. It's the first of a new series of You Grow Guides by Gayla Trail and Davin Risk, the dynamic duo behind all things fluffco. I'm a paper kinda gal, I like to have the tangible page experience, but for those of you who are better suited for the ages, they've got you covered with a digital version, too!

If you've been reading this blog throughout the years, you know I'm a fan of everything they do. This guide is no different. Drinking the Summer Garden arrived at the most auspicious time; several days after I bought a large bundle of celery from a local, organic farmer. I have plans to pickle and can the stalks so I can pair them up with Bloody Mary mix for holiday gifts, but wasn't about to waste the delicious leaves.

I'd already had it in my mind to make celery salt, but hadn't quite gotten to the actual making it part.

When the book arrived I dove right in. Filled with gorgeous photos, in depth instructions* for creative ways to drink up the summer bounty, and snack sized recipes to keep hunger at bay.

from Drinking the Summer Garden

Then and there the celery salt recipe jumped off the pages and forehead slapped me (duh!) with a message, "Go to the kitchen and do this before your celery rots from good intention!"

And so I did, leaving me with a new hope the freshness of celery will last me through the off-season. So it goes, the girl and the celery were guided to happy.

Read more about it on You Grow Girl, buy it through Blurb (also linked to Blurb on YGG), and also available as an e-book to suit any type of fancy digital device!

*To be truthful, this particular recipe is very similar to the 101 Cookbooks version I'd been considering. Either one will get you where you want to go, but there are a few differences, and without giving the instructions away, the You Grow Guide version seems a little more foolproof with a few thoughtful details on flavor preservation.