Spring book tour, supper clubs & plenty to eat in March
FREE TO READ: the March newsletter is packed with events news (Hay here we come); Rough Patch reviews that make me teary; Mother's Day gift ideas; plus, garden jobs & 8 free seasonal recipes
Welcome to my monthly newsletter - a round-up of news, recipes and life in the veg patch - which is free to all subscribers. If you’ve made it here without subscribing, that’s easily rectified by clicking the button below.
And if you’d like to consider upgrading to a paid subscription, it costs less than a fancy packet of heritage seeds per month and you’ll able able to join my new live cookery classes each month (like this but live), and also receive a weekly recipe (like this) and plenty more (see here).
Whichever subscription you pick, I’m just grateful you’re here. Otherwise it’d just be me and the slugs. So thank you.
Hello you lovely lot
The excitement has bubbled over and I’m buying seed packets like a kid in a sweet shop. I just want to get on with it and get growing. But’s still too cold really, so a diary packed with Rough Patch events (see below) is a useful distraction from temptation.
In between the bookshop visits (see you in Warwick on 1st April?), supper clubs (Chipping Norton on 30th for supper?) and literary festivals (coming to Hay?), I’ve plenty for you to eat (EIGHT free recipes including my latest recipes for Delicious and Ocado) and an invitation to my next live cookery class.
If you need me, I’ll be in the greenhouse.
(TECHNICAL NOTE: There are a LOT of recipes here and they might not all fit in your email. If so, just hit VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE at the end of the email, or head to the app or online version.)
The Reviews are In
My book, Rough Patch, a memoir with recipes, is one month old. And goodness me, it’s been quite a month. Here’s a summary:
Look, I know these things always sound icky and cringingly #blessed, but I’m genuinely gobsmacked by the support I’ve had and the lovely comments from people who have made the effort to get in touch having read Rough Patch.
Now I’m at the coalface all non-celeb’ authors find themselves at - pressing copies into the hands of strangers, counting every sale, begging people to ‘rate and review’ (which you can do here and here or for the audiobook here, please and thank you). I was especially delighted with this reader review:
The Eat, Pray, Love of our time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am crossing my fingers it sells even 1% of what that book did.
But it’s all happy work and I love it, so watch this space for a spring and summer schedule packed with festivals, supper clubs, bookshop talks and events (see below).
Mother’s Day (or any other day) Gift
Lovely Rosie Ramsden, the artist who created the cover and internal illustrations for Rough Patch, and I have put together a special gift bundle which includes:
a signed copy of Rough Patch with a personal message
an A5 print of one of Rosie’s preliminary sketches for the cover
a packet of radish seeds
Each beautifully wrapped bundle costs £35 + £3.40 postage (48hr tracked, within the UK). But there aren’t many, so order soon by messaging me with:
What you’d like written inside the book
The address you’d like it sent to (and whether this is your address or the gift recipient’s)
I’ll reply with a secure payment link and we’re done.
Live cookery class - Wed 26th Mar 1pm GMT
Well, last month’s live cookery classes from the greenhouse (above) was such a hoot, I think we’ll keep doing them.
This time, I’ll be showing you how to make wild garlic tortellini. We’ll cover how to make pasta, how to fill and shape it, plus tips for wild garlic foraging and ways to use it.
These classes last about 40 minutes and are for paid subscribers.
They will be streamed here on Substack which works just like Instagram Live (ie: you can see me and type questions in a public chat at the bottom the screen, but I can’t see you).
You can join via the Substack app or on your desktop from your Substack homepage. Click below to download the Substack app. If you make sure to enable notifications, the app will notify you when we go live. Just tap that, and you’ll be able to watch and ask questions live.
And if you miss it, don’t panic, I’ll post a recording afterwards along with recipes.
Come For a Chat
I’m on the campaign trail and have LOADS of bookshop and festival events coming up. Hope you can come.
(Also, do notice how casually I slip HAY FESTIVAL into this list. I honestly can’t believe I managed to get on that line-up!)
19th (SOLD OUT) and 20th March - Chloe’s Long Table: I’ll be giving a short talk at Chloe’s in Charlbury as part of her Women in Food night followed by a two-course meal featuring recipes from Rough Patch. (7:30pm. £25)
29th March - Susie Watson Design - Broadway: I’ll be signing books and sharing tasters around their beautiful Easter table display. (12-1:30pm. Free)
1st April - Warwick Books: an evening chat about Rough Patch with time for questions, signings and a few tasters from the book. (6:30pm. £18.99 inc refreshments and signed copy of the book)
3rd April - St Neots Waterstones: an evening chat about Rough Patch with time for questions, signings and a few tasters from the book. (6:30-8pm. £5)
5th April - Daylesford Organics: I’ll be in the House & Garden room of the Kingham store demonstrating recipes from Rough Patch and signing copies. (Demos at 11:30am and 12:30pm. Free)
30th April - FarmED Supper Club: a dinner of recipes from Rough Patch plus a chat about the book. (6pm. £30)
7th May - West Bridgford Library: an evening chat about Rough Patch with time for questions (7pm. £5. Booking info coming soon)
11th May - Fortnum & Mason: Seasonal Sundays class at which I share my seasonal picks for late spring, demonstrate what to do with them and turn them into a delicious lunch. (11:30am-2pm. £45)
16-18th May - St Ives Food Festival: I’ll be on the beach cooking recipes from my books over the fire pit. Yes, it is a heavenly as it sounds. (Times tbc. Free)
29th May - Hay Literary Festival: I’ll be chatting alongside fellow grower and writer, Poppy Okotcha about our books and life closer to nature. (1pm. £15)
19th-23rd June - Manoir Mouret: my Delicious series collaborator, Kirstie Young, and I will be hosting a 4-day food and photography trip at a beautiful farmhouse where we’ll show you how to let the landscape and potager inspire your cooking and photography. (E1650 inc. food and accommodation)
11th July - ALSO festival: a chat and cookery demo of recipes from Rough Patch at this glorious festival of ideas, food and music (there’s even a swimming lake).
What to Eat in March
This month’s I’m enjoying shoot leftovers from the March instalment of my Delicious column which puts parsnips, purple sprouting broccoli and savoy cabbage centre stage with:
Over at OcadoLife I’ve been writing some other early spring recipes:
Once you’ve tried those, may I recommend:
Jobs for March
What you can do in March really depends on the weather. With Jekka McVicar’s advice to…
…not sow anything directly into the soil until you can sit on it bare-bottomed without it feeling cold…
… I am resisting the urge to sow much direct. That said, my jobs include:
Sow radishes and spring onions direct (worth a punt with the hardier, easily resown veg).
Plant strawberries. I don’t have strawberries at the moment, but am about to come into some runners from a friend so will find a pot or hanging basket for them. It’s a perfect time to get them in the soil.
Plant onions in module trays so they can sprout green shoots and develop a few roots before I plant them out in the wilds of the allotment come April.
Sow beetroot, spinach, salad leaves, lettuce in the greenhouse to plant out when it’s warmer. (I already did my broad beans and peas, but get those in now if you haven’t yet.)
Catch up on anything I didn’t manage from the February To Do List.
Check warmth of raised beds on bare bottom…
Know someone who might enjoy this free newsletter? Spread the word:
Warwick Books. My favourite. Sadly (not sadly) I have moved to Cornwall or I'd be there!
a kindred spirit. I, too, worked in advertising - for 30 years - and not only burned myself out but found my experience and wisdom suddenly not as desirable as it once was in favor of digital data and social media. So, I pivoted to food, wine, and writing - my go-to when I need to a pick me up. I'd love to order your book, but Amazon isn't listing it in the States - perhaps I need to be patient :)