Who loves the abundance of spring vegetables? If that sounds like you, then you really need to join the Lambs’ Ears Cookbook Club in September!
Well – today is officially spring and a time to enjoy spring vegetables, so I think this month’s Lambs’ Ears Cookbook Club cookbook choice is perfect.
Boustany is the first cookbook that Sami Tamimi has penned alone and, as he has said, it’s his most personal. Translated from Arabic, “boustany” means ‘my garden’ and is, in no small part, Tamimi’s effort to preserve the culinary traditions of his homeland. Farming has been the main source of income for most Palestinians for generations, along with a long tradition of foraging for the wild herbs native to the region, like za’atar, sage and purslane. This is all under grave threat now, and Sami feels a responsibility to conserve these rich Palestinian culinary customs for generations who will grow up far from their traditional homeland.
In Boustany, Tamimi has documented 100 contemporary recipes, which are a mixture of the traditional dishes he grew up with, and some new dishes he has created – while always being mindful of staying loyal to their origins. The delicious recipes are lavishly photographed and accompanied by stories, anecdotes and a little of the history behind many of them. It is entirely vegetable based, so ideal inspiration for the spring vegetable abundance that is now appearing on Australian fresh produce shelves, and full of the flavour bursts that Sami is so well known for – so lets get cooking.
But what did we cook in August?
Unfortunately, I was largely MIA in August, due to an unexpected and deeply sad death in our family, but my wonderful Lambs’ Ears Cookbook Club members apparently don’t need me much at all! They enthusiastically embraced the richly comforting dishes in Olivia Andrews Slow Cooking, sharing so many of her wonderfully delicious and warming recipes. Here’s just a few – to see much, much more, head to the cookbook club’s Facebook group page.
Seafood chowder – from the kitchen of Carolyn Miles
Duck and Mushroom Ragu from Gigi Annabelle
Ginger and spring onion chicken from Chloe Haseltine
So – what’s new for October?
I’m really quite excited about our October cookbook selection. Back in September of 2022 (seriously, I just can’t believe it was that long ago) our cookbook club book selection was Chinese-ish by Roshen Kaul and Joanna Hu. Thrillingly, this popular Australian cookbook went on to win one of the much-coveted James Beard awards in 2023. Fast-forward now to 2 September 2025 and Rosheen Kaul’s latest cookbook, Secret Sauce, will hit the shelves.
I really, really, love this book – it’s clever concept is a collection of more than 50 recipes for killer sauces, dressings, flavour-bomb butters and condiments, plus 50 different ways to really exploit the total bursts of tastiness in each of them. Again, this is going to level up the new season’s spring vegetables, along with anything else you care to transform with these super-clever recipes.
As mentioned, it will be published on Tuesday 2 September (RRP $39.99, but only $29.99 using this link). Keep your eyes peeled, or go online and pre-order it today!
But in the meantime, please, please grab a copy of Boustany and enjoy the spring vegetables from your own garden (or your local greengrocers) with a bit big dollop of Palestinian flavour and rich culinary heritage.
IF YOU HAVEN’T JOINED THE LAMBS EARS COOKBOOK CLUB YET, YOU WILL FIND ALL THE DETAILS HERE.
SO, 2025 IS LOOKING LIKE THIS SO FAR
Your whole-year cookbook will be any ONE cookbook from your own collection
September – Boustany by Sami Tamimi
August – Slow Cooking by Olivia Andrews
July – citrus recipes from ANY of your own cookbooks
June – Some of My Best Friends are Cookies by Emelia Jackson AND The Bakers Book by Ruby Goss
May – Everything Is Indian by Justin Narayan
April – Too Easy by Donna Hay
March – What’s for Dessert by Claire Saffitz
February – RecipeTin Eats Tonight by Nagi Maehashi
January – Salad for Days by Alice Zaslavsky
PLEASE NOTE, AUSTRALIAN ONLINE BOOKSELLER BOOKTOPIA IS BACK IN BUSINESS. IF YOU PURCHASE ANY OF THESE COOKBOOKS FROM MY LINKS, YOU WILL GET A GREAT PRICE, AND I WILL GET A VERY SMALL COMMISSION.
[mc4wp_form id="16750"]
