Usage:

from a existing Top-Level application cookbook,

\>cat Berksfile
source 'https://supermarket.chef.io'

metadata

cookbook 'file',
  git: 'git@github.com:jenssegers/chef-file.git'

Then vendor all the cookbooks used by this cookbook in /tmp/cookbooks

\>bundle exec berks vendor /tmp/cookbooks
Resolving cookbook dependencies...
Fetching 'myApp' from source at .
Using myApp (0.1.21) from source at .
Using apt (2.7.0)
Using chef-client (4.3.0)
Using chef-sugar (3.1.0)
Using chef_handler (1.1.6)
Using cron (1.6.1)
Using file (2.0.0) from git@github.com:jenssegers/chef-file.git (at master)
Using iptables (1.0.0)
Using java (1.31.0)
Using logrotate (1.9.1)
Using openssh (1.3.4)
Using rsyslog (1.15.0)
Using tar (0.6.0)
Using windows (1.36.6)
Using yum (3.6.0)
Vendoring myApp (0.1.21) to /tmp/cookbooks/myApp
Vendoring apt (2.7.0) to /tmp/cookbooks/apt
Vendoring chef-client (4.3.0) to /tmp/cookbooks/chef-client
Vendoring chef-sugar (3.1.0) to /tmp/cookbooks/chef-sugar
Vendoring chef_handler (1.1.6) to /tmp/cookbooks/chef_handler
Vendoring cron (1.6.1) to /tmp/cookbooks/cron
Vendoring file (2.0.0) to /tmp/cookbooks/file
Vendoring iptables (1.0.0) to /tmp/cookbooks/iptables
Vendoring java (1.31.0) to /tmp/cookbooks/java
Vendoring logrotate (1.9.1) to /tmp/cookbooks/logrotate
Vendoring openssh (1.3.4) to /tmp/cookbooks/openssh
Vendoring rsyslog (1.15.0) to /tmp/cookbooks/rsyslog
Vendoring tar (0.6.0) to /tmp/cookbooks/tar
Vendoring windows (1.36.6) to /tmp/cookbooks/windows
Vendoring yum (3.6.0) to /tmp/cookbooks/yum

and find out the exact list of versions being used by this top-level cookbook

\>cookbook-list-dependencies /tmp/cookbooks/ myApp
depends 'apt', '2.7.0'
depends 'chef-client', '4.3.0'
depends 'chef-sugar', '3.1.0'
depends 'cron', '1.6.1'
depends 'file', '2.0.0'
depends 'java', '1.31.0'
depends 'logrotate', '1.9.1'
depends 'openssh', '1.3.4'
depends 'rsyslog', '1.15.0'
depends 'tar', '0.6.0'
depends 'windows', '1.36.6'
depends 'yum', '3.6.0'

Then you can use these constrains in your application cookbook,

\>cookbook-list-dependencies /tmp/cookbooks myApp >> metadata.rb

Upload these cookbooks into your chef-server, use berkshelf or whatever then constrain the environment for your top myApp cookbook.

Converge the node and the chef-client will download the cookbook MyApp and the metadata.rb constrained cookbooks