Gardening to Eat: Connecting People and Plants

by Becky Dickinson

Overview

Embrace a plant-based lifestyle all the way from seed to plate. This inspiring and informative book takes the mystery out of gardening and reveals how to grow an array of fruits and vegetables using simple, organic techniques.

Packed with fresh ideas for turning homegrown produce into delicious, nutritious meals, you'll find heaps of no-nonsense recipes created for real people with busy lives and healthy appetites. No fads, no fuss, no fancy ingredients, just real, honest, ethical food.

With a passion for connecting people and plants, Gardening to Eat brings the garden into the kitchen. For people who love food and love to know where it's come from.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526757203
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	06/09/2021
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Becky Dickinson is a freelance journalist who writes for national newspapers and magazines and runs the website allotmentmum.co.uk. She has also written a number of children's books for schools.

She is passionate about the benefits of gardening, both for physical health and mental wellbeing, and is dedicated to encouraging people of all ages to grow some of their own food.

She lives in Devon with her partner and three children, and an army of slugs she's determined to defeat.

@allotmentmum www.allotmentmum.co.uk

Table of Contents

Part I

Introduction 9

Why grow food? 9

Setter for the environment 10

Better for the body 11

Better for the mind 13

Better for life 14

And eat! 15

Ready, steady, grow - the basics of gardening 16

Overcoming barriers to gardening 16

Deciding what to grow 19

Location, location, location - planning your space 21

Greenhouses and polytunnels 23

Growing organically - naturally better 26

Composting - turning trash into treasure 26

Spades down - the no dig theory of gardening 27

Companion planting - flowers with benefits 27

Crop rotation - keep on moving 29

Pest control - without the death penalty 30

Part II

Grow and eat - vegetables and fruit 37

Grow: Beans, French / Green 37

Eat: Thai green bean curry 41

Spice and easy five-a-day rice 42

Grow: Beetroot 43

Eat: Beetroot burgers with horseradish sauce 45

Beetroot dahl 46

Grow: Blackcurrants 47

Eat: Berry 'nice cream' 49

Grow: Blueberries 50

Eat: Yoghurt and blueberry pancakes 52

Easy-squeezy lemon and blueberry cheesecake 53

Grow: Broad Beans 54

Eat: Lemony gnocchi with broad beans and chimichurri sauce 56

Broad bean salad with feta, mint and olives 58

Grow: Broccoli 59

Eat: Sprouting broccoli tray bake with parsley pesto 62

Broccoli panzanella 64

Grow: Cabbage 65

Eat: Cabbage 'noodle' pad Thai 68

Pizzoccheri 69

Cabbage melt 70

Grow: Carrots 71

Eat: Roast carrots with lentils and a soy dressing 75

Carrot and poppy seed cake with candied orange 76

Grow: Cauliflower 78

Eat: Cauliflower and spinach curry 81

Cauliflower nuggets with home-made garlic mayo 82

Grow: Chard 83

Eat: Chard and potato gratin 85

Chard and squash galette 86

Grow: Courgettes 88

Eat: Sunshine ratatouille 90

Sun-dried courgettes with a garlic and mint marinade 91

Grow: Garlic 92

Eat: Spaghetti aglio, olio e pepperoncino (spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli) 95

Twisted garlic bread 96

Grow: Kale 98

Eat: Lovely lentils with kale 100

Wilted kale with chickpeas, rice and a tahini dressing 101

Grow: Leeks 102

Eat: Pizza bianca with leek and mushrooms 104

Pearl barley risotto with leeks 106

Grow: Onions and shallots 107

Eat: Cheese and spring onion tart 110

The ultimate cheese and onion wrap with sweet chilli sauce 112

Grow: Parsnips 113

Eat: Parsnip and portobello fake au vin 115

Parsnip hummus 116

Slightly spiced parsnip crisps 117

Grow: Peas 118

Eat: Pea and feta parcels 121

Pea and ricotta tagliatelle 122

Grow: Potatoes 123

Eat: Next level potato salad with caramelised red onions 125

Garlic and rosemary potato rostis 126

Grow: Raspberries 127

Eat: Raspberry granola pots with lemon balm 131

Grow: Rhubarb 132

Eat: Rhubarb, orange and lemon drizzle cake 134

Rhubarb gin 135

Grow: Salad 136

Eat: Warm roast beetroot and mackerel salad 141

Caesar salad with crispy chickpeas 142

Grow: Spinach 144

Eat: Superfast spinach, chickpea and peanut butter curry 146

Very green soup with toasted pine nuts 147

Grow: Squash and pumpkins 148

Eat: Fiery squash and quinoa tray bake 150

Squash and Stilton crumble 151

Grow: Strawberries 152

Eat: Strawberry and almond roulade 155

Grow: Sweetcorn 156

Eat: Brazilian inspired sweetcorn and black bean stew 158

Smokey sweetcorn fritters with sweetcorn salsa 160

Grow: Tomatoes 162

Eat: Gardener's gazpacho 166

Honey I shrunk the caprese 167