Monday 17 February 2014

Rosehips On A Kitchen Table

The latest book I've been asked to review is Rosehips on a Kitchen Table by Carolyn Caldicott. This book has recently been published by Frances Lincoln (www.franceslincoln.com , @Frances_Lincoln).


Subtitled Seasonal Recipes For Foragers & Foodies, the book looks at ways to turn foraged and unusual ingredients as well as gluts into delicious meals and desserts, as well as jams, jellies, chutneys, pickles, pesto and cordials.

The book is divided in to different sections:- Rich Pickings, Gleaning, Grow Your Own, Gluts and What On Earth Can I Do With This? I particularly like the fact that not only does the book cater for the forager, but also for people who grow their own.

Each ingredient is introduced with information about it and tips on how to use, cook and eat it.


This is followed by several recipes where the featured ingredient is the star of the show.

I was pleased to find wild garlic featured in the Gleaning section. This grows in abundance in my local wood, though I've never used it before. The recipe for Wild Garlic Dauphinoise may just tempt me to give it a try, it looks delicious.


The Grow Your Own section covers such things as rhubarb, sorrel, chard and chillies, amongst others. The Chilli and Cider Mussels recipe may just encourage me to grow chillies again, I have a penchant for mussels.


Gluts covers such things as strawberries, runner beans and the thing we all must have been overrun with at one time or another, courgettes. It's good to have some new recipes to have a go at when the gluts return.


The What on Earth do I do with This? chapter is a very good idea. Vegetables such as beetroot and brussels sprouts are featured as well as fruit such as gooseberries and quince. Some of these things get a bad press, but it's probably because we just don't know any enticing recipes to use them in. Take brussels sprouts, boiling or steaming is as far as I go with them, but Creamy Brussels Puree With Walnuts, or Brussels Stir-Fry With Ginger, Cumin and Chilli sounds much more appetising.

All in all, this is a very nice little book which looks at over twenty ingredients and contains over fifty recipes. I wouldn't try all the recipes covered but I'd certainly have a go at some of them.

The publishers are offering a copy of this book as a giveaway prize, so if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning it, just leave a comment on this post before twelve noon on Tuesday the 25th of February 2014, after which, a name will be drawn at random. Please note that this giveaway is open to UK/EU only and that I will be passing on the winner's name and address details to the publishing company in order for them to send out your prize.

To order Rosehips on a Kitchen Table at the discounted price of £7.99 including p&p* (RRP: £9.99), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG97. 

Alternatively, send a cheque made payable to: 
LBS Mail Order Department, Littlehampton Book Services, PO Box 4264, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 3RB. 

Please quote the offer code APG97 and include your name and address details. 

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

47 comments:

  1. Ohhh it looks like my sort of book, I'm entering please.

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    1. I've popped your name in the hat. It's a lovely book.

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  2. Sounds good, Jo. You are in danger of becoming a professional reviewer,

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    1. I know. I do love books though so I wouldn't mind.

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  3. This looks an excellent and useful book Jo - I'd love a chance to win it but shall certainly buy it if I'm not lucky!
    Excellent review Jo, gives us a good idea of what to expect.
    Gill xx

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    1. I think it will come in very handy when there's food available in the hedgerows and when the gluts arrive.

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  4. It sounds like a very interesting book - if only I ever had a glut that needed dealing with! xx

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    1. There's plenty of gluts in the hedgerows. I think this book will inspire me to get out and look for them more.

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  6. That looks to be a good book but as I'm not a foodie or much of a cook please don't include me in the draw.

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    1. No problem. There's some recipes I'm going to have a go at with things I grow on the plot, always nice to find something new to make.

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  7. Looks like a great mix of ingredients, certainly quite a few there that I've found myself wondering what to do with - looking for inspiration beyond the normal

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    1. It's always good to find new ways to use things up. The book covers things I've never even thought of using before, like nettles, and things I've never grown before, like celeriac, as well as stalwarts of the vegetable patch.

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  8. I like the sound of your book. I would love to know more about the things that grow in the hedgegrows and what to do with them. And you can never have too many recipes for seasonal veg. Please throw my name into the hat for your give away.

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    1. I must admit that I'm not really a forager, I'm not really very confident about it, but there's some great recipes in the book so I may give it a go. I've popped your name in the hat.

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  9. Great looking book, I do pick crab apples, blackberries and sloes to use and I pick rose hips for jellies and syrup, mixed with elderberries they make a delicious cordial. I better see if I can put it on my wishlist, but will keep my fingers crossed.

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    1. It sounds like you're an expert forager, and why not with all that free food for the taking. I'll pop your name in the hat.

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  10. Sounds like an interesting book, thanks for reviewing.

    If you're interested in growing your own wild garlic, you can buy seeds from the More Veg website. I just bought a couple of packets, though I intend to keep them in pots rather than run rampant.

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    1. I've never thought about growing wild garlic myself, though I think you're wise erring on the side of caution and growing it in pots. The book is really interesting, I've popped your name in the hat.

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  11. I looked at this book on the Frances Lincoln website recently and thought it worth a look - I particularly like the sound of the section 'What on earth do I do with this', sounds right up my street! Jolly good review, Jo.

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    1. Thank you. I think with veg boxes rising in popularity, the What on Earth do I do With This? section is really good. I know some people who think parsnips are unsual, so I don't know what they'd make of some of the vegetables that get included in the weekly deliveries.

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  12. Sounds like a really good book, I like the fact that home grown things are covered as well as foraged things. I discovered sorrel last year - love it. I'm hoping to grow more this year.

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    1. I like that about the book too. I've never grown sorrel, in fact, there's so many things which I've yet to try.

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  13. I think this book is right up my alley ( or garden path!) I definitely need more glut recipes because I recently cleaned out my freezer and composted a lot of stuff that was really embarrassingly old!!

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    1. I'm just the same, I freeze things thinking I'll use them up later and then forget all about them. I think we should both be using all the gluts up in some delicious recipes.

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  14. I love the sound of this book though So would really like to be in on the prize draw thing....of course when I don't win I think I will purchase a copy anyway!!

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    1. It's a lovely book with some great recipes. I've popped your name in the hat, good luck.

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  15. Replies
    1. There's some very interesting recipes in the book, I'll definitely be giving some of them a try.

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  16. Actually this book sounds right up my street. I might not actually cook anything from it, but it is the sort of book that I just love to read over and over again (like I have with The Thrifty Forager). I planted wild garlic at the allotment last year and am just waiting to see if it comes up this year xxx

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    1. The photography in the book is wonderful, I could just keep flicking through it for the pictures alone. You'll have to let us know how you go on with the wild garlic and what you use it for.

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  17. Yum.... Please can you put me in the draw?

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    1. I've popped your name in the hat. There's some really yummy recipes in the book.

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  18. Would appreciate an entry in the draw Jo. I noticed the crab apples on the front cover and having just planted a crab apple tree today will no doubt be wondering what to do with the fruits. Stir fried sprouts are absolutely delicious with red onion and some seasoning :)

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    1. I've popped your name in the hat. Stir fried sprouts sound delicous. I don't grow sprouts but Mick's uncle gave me some that he'd grown and I've still got some in the freezer so I might give that a go.

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  19. I do love the sound of this book, I'm a mad foraging fan and will go for all sorts, except mushrooms! I' to afraid to trust myself with them. I love love to be popped in the hat.xxx

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    1. I wouldn't dare eat any mushrooms I found, even if I was really sure about them, there's so many which look very similar. I've popped your name in the hat.

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  20. This book sounds as though it is right up my street. I'm just planning what to grow this year, so it might persuade me to try something new!

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    1. I often find inspiration when choosing what to grow from things I read. I'll pop your name in the hat.

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  21. I love collecting recipe books for fruit and veg - you can never have too many options and I don't understand people who say "I don't like ******", have they tried cooking it in different ways? surely they would like it in some form or another? ... don't get me started :-))))

    I'm so pleased I found your blogs via your comments on Su's blog xx

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    1. I understand exactly what you mean. I tend to get stuck in my ways when preparing and cooking certain things, I think we just need some other options and books like this are very inspiring. Thank you for letting me know how you found my blog, I'm always interested to hear how people have found their way here. I'll pop your name in the hat.

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  22. I'd be glad if you were to put my name in your hat. As I mentioned over at Veg plotting - http://vegplotting.blogspot.co.uk/ - I'd be interested to know how to cope with rosehips when their stones are so big and to find out if there's anything you can do with sloes apart from adding them to gin.

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    1. I'll certainly pop your name in the hat. There are various sloe recipes, the Tipsy Sloe Fairy Cakes sound delicious.

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  23. Sounds like a good read, might just fit it in before the growing season really gets going!

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    1. It's a very good read, lots of great recipes. I'll pop your name in the hat.

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  24. Have just realised that they are rose hips on the table Jo and not crab apples. Must put my specs on more
    often :) Think that I may well treat myself to this book.

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    1. Rosehips on the table, but I wasn't sure about what's in the basket. Are they plums do you think? I hope you enjoy the book if you do buy it.

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