The peculiarly titled “Tender: Volume I – A Cook and His Vegetable Patch” is not the name of an overly elaborate novel, but is in fact a cookery book filled with tasty recipes, all of which come straight from the vegetables in the garden. Often overlooked on the dinner plate, vegetables are usually less important than meat, but with this book, it becomes apparent that there is so much that can be done to make them far more in-demand on the family dinner table.

Anyone who has browsed through the cookery section of their local bookshop will know that the author of this book, Nigel Slater, is one of the most popular names out there. As well as being a writer for The Observer newspaper, he has an almost countless number of titles to his name, such as “The Kitchen Diaries: Over 300 New Recipes from Britain’s Best-loved Food Writer” and, something of a sequel to this book, “Tender: v. 2: A Cook’s Guide to the Fruit Garden”.

Here Slater has compiled an impressive 400 recipes all based around vegetables, and there are as many green-only meals as there are accompaniments to meat dishes. Of course, with 400 different recipes, there are going to be some pretty original ones included, and among the highlights would have to be his chocolate beetroot cake. Whether you are a vegetarian looking for inspiration or simply want something to complement your fish or poultry, this is a highly recommended read.