Kathy Slack

When Kathy was forced to quit her high-flying career in London, she was a wreck - burnt out, anxious, consumed by depression. But she found solace in an unlikely place - the veg patch. She put her hands in the soil and found a way to grow, to sow some small seeds of hope. In Rough Patch, Kathy draws us into the world of the kitchen garden to reflect on the lessons she learnt from the soil, along with sharing recipes inspired by the land. Weaving together her own story of recovery with the year she spent growing and cooking her harvests, Kathy realises that the two are tightly bound together and that reconnecting with the earth could restore her hope and renew her life. Along the way there are tales of marauding pigs, transformative insights from planting leeks, recipes for an unchecked courgette glut and the discovery of why a radish seed is worth staying alive for. The result is a candid, hopeful and sometimes funny story about the healing powers of nature; a quiet manifesto for a more connected life.

Everyday recipes that make vegetables the star of the show Kathy Slack takes us through a year in her veg patch in this celebration of her ten favourite things to grow and eat. Peas, lettuce, courgettes, beans, tomatoes, beetroot, squash, apples, kale and leeks; all simple to grow, affordable and readily available to anyone without a growing space of their own. Most recipes are vegetarian, some use meat or fish, but every dish makes veg the star of the plate. This is food for everyone and every day. Here are recipes to herald the start of spring (Pea, Feta and Mint Frittata) to enjoy on a sweltering summer day (A Tomato-lovers Salad with Anchovy Breadcrumbs) to warm you up as the nights start to draw in (Pumpkin Tikka Masala) and to hunker down with in the depths of winter (Leek, Chestnut and Cider Crumble). Whether you grow your own vegetables at home or buy them at the supermarket, these beautiful recipes celebrate ingredients at their very best and are a joy to cook and eat.