Books : Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Rating: - If you only buy one cookbook make it this one!
I was given this book as a gift and since then I have bought it for three friends. It really is the best cookbook on by shelf.

I have not made one recipe from it that did not turn out fantastically well - and there's a fantastic combination of modern and old fashioned recipes, quick and easy and more complicated meals.

I don't have a garden or an aga or a double oven or any fancy cooking equipment and it is quite usable for the urban cook! There are so many brilliant recipes that it would be quite possible to cook just from this book all year long.

Also the book is so pretty, brightly coloured with two bookmark ribbons that it makes an ideal gift.

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Rating: - Excellent, no-nonsense cookbook
I picked this up to cheer myself up and try to encourage myself to cook more healthy, seasonal meals. As a busy teacher, the Garden Cookbook appealed because of its no nonsense style- there's no waffle, just several recipes to a page, accompanied by some gorgeous photography.

I've wasted money on cookery books before, but this one really does offer something different- not only is it eye-candy, but it is easily accessible.
As I come from E. Sussex, it also couldn't be much more local- the recipes use the fruit and veg that can be grown in the UK climate, not exotic, imported items, and offer suggestions for many of the more unfamiliar items that have cropped up in my veg box from time to time. Who knew you could cook lettuce? Certainly not me!

So far I've only cooked one recipe- the crushed new potatoes, but they were fabulous (and fabulously easy...) and will become a staple recipe.

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Rating: - Amazing cookbook, but frustrating at times
I have resisted writing a review until now, as by and large I think this is a wonderful book and I am in agreement with many of the positive reviews. However, I have experienced my fourth "disaster" using recipes from this book today and I really had to say something. I am a fairly experienced cook but this book really does not explain things as well as it should / could. I made the "Mushrooms with polenta" which says that you need to allow the polenta to "cool completely" before cutting it into wedges to fry. However, given the quantities of water required in the recipe in proportion to the polenta (1.5L water to 140g polenta), there is NO WAY you are ever going to "cool completely" enough to be able to cut it into wedges from just cooking it a "few minutes" as Ms Raven suggests, unless you subsequently put it in the deep freeze overnight. This I knew from experience, but I gave Ms. Raven the benefit of the doubt. The result: completely liquidy polenta and hours wasted boiling down and a ruined saucepan. I have had other similar episodes: The "Meringue roulade with raspberries", delicious though it was, was not deemed a success due to the recipes direction: "Place the tin fairly near the top of the preheated oven" - now, my oven is not a very expensive one - it has, as its heat source at the top, an electric grill even in an oven setting. This means that if you put things too close it will inevitably brown quicker than normal ovens. Which is exactly what happened to my meringue, browning the top and the almonds but not cooking the inside, leading to a mushy meringue. I would have appreciated an explanatory note for different kinds of ovens. The "Mint and apple compote" was another one. As the recipe does not specify what kind of apple, I presumed unwisely that it must be cooking apples. How wrong I was. Cooking apples do not disintegrate adequately for you to be able to push it successfully through any "coarse sieve". As a result my husband spent the better part of half an hour pushing the stuff through the sieve, which probably would have been done quicker in a mouli which is another implement Ms. Raven suggests apart from a coarse sieve but unfortunately we don't possess. Yes I know, I should have read the recipe properly where I would have learned that you need to push it through a sieve i.e. cannot use cooking apples, but we don't always have time for that. Sometimes all you have time for is a quick 5 minutes scanning through cookery books and writing a shopping list from the recipes. The same with the "Courgette souffle tart", which sounds delicious but was a watery mess, completely inedible, because nowhere in the recipe does Ms Raven explain that one needs to salt and squeeze the water out of the courgettes beforehand. Normally I never salt courgettes / aubergines etc and they turn out fine but admittedly I had never cooked courgettes in a tart before. Again, this is explained at the beginning of the courgette chapter, but I had not read this - and I would have thought it essential advice to give in the recipe itself, as one doesn't always have time to leisurely read recipe books from cover to cover. Having said all of this, I have made lots of other delicious and wonderful meals from this book, and it is packed with information on sowing, harvesting and cooking methods. You will not regret buying it but read each recipe carefully and if you are not sure about something, ask an expert.

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Rating: - Great book and really does get used
I bought this as a gift and ended up keeping it and buying a second copy for my Mum (who is an avid gardener but not a cook). I love this book and go back to it again and again. There are simple recipes and complicated recipes and it regularly inspires me. I don't have much that is edible growing in my very small garden, but this book makes me want to move house!

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Rating: - .....knowledgeable, great recipes and seasonal food all the way!
I love this book. As a Garden designer, I love the fact that she doesn't put aside the aesthetic qualities of fruit and vegetables, she grows them on her farm in a beautiful setting - go there if you have not visited before, inspiring workshops. She is a very down to earth lady, with tons of tips and advice. Simple recipes, with generous acknowledgements to other people. She is passionate about her food and it shows in her book. She loves sharing and having first hand experience of the food she cooks with, she is able to show the reader that there are some simple rules to follow. Nothing complicated, just fresh ingredients, beautiful vibrant presentation on the plate and succulent aromas and tastes to boot. The seasonality of the recipes is a great way to show many people how to use vegetables, nuts and fruit in a variety of recipes which do not leave vegetarian eaters out. There are so many ways of preparing an extensive variety of vegetables that it's a real pleasure preparing these seasonal dishes for friends and family.
I have cooked all of summer, autumn and winter recipes so far - every single one is a delight. My favourite??? The Basil ice-cream! You have to try it!