Kitchen Garden Experts by Cinead McTearnan

My rating: 3 of 5 spoons
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I don't really have a great space for gardening, but I like to try. I have been doing some container gardening this year, and love cooking with fresh produce that I have grown myself, so this book interested me very much. Twenty celebrated chefs and their head gardeners share information, tips and recipes.

There is good information throughout the book from each chef/gardener combo's "Kitchen Garden Secrets" to crop calendars, how to make your own garlic spray for pests and so much more. This book is set in the UK, so you have to take that into account when using the information. Some of it may not be entirely accurate for whatever zone you're in, but there's still plenty of good information in it. I really enjoyed reading it and gleaning usable tidbits.

The recipes are a mixed bag. There are simple recipes such as Ratatouille, Leeks Vinaigrette, Plum and Almond Flan (you HAVE to try this!) and the amazingly simple Fig, Mozzarella and Basil Salad as well as the pretentious Citrus-Vanilla-Cured Vinegar Trout (I'm sorry, but I couldn't even bring myself to try to make this it sounded so bad!), Whitby Lobster with Quail Eggs and Garden Beans and Gray Mullet, Broccolini & Pickled Nasturtium Seeds. Really?!? Pickled nasturtium seeds? I'm sure there are people who love that sort of thing, and if you are one of them, I highly recommend this book to you as it's filled with that sort of thing. This book is great for people who want some good gardening information with some recipes thrown in. For people who love food and love to cook but aren't trying to make grandiose, extravagant dishes to impress someone, this might not be the book for you.

I received a copy of this book from Quartos Publishing Group for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.