Recipes for December feasting, a long list of cookbooks I'd like, new events, and a Rough Patch update
FREE TO READ: December newsletter
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:
Before we tuck in, a request: I bloomin’ love doing this Substack. It takes a lot of time. Joyful time. But time. I try to keep some content free, but paid subscribers go a long way to help covering the costs. 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 also receive a monthly video (like this), a weekly recipe (like this) and plenty more (see here).
This direct support from readers is huge because it means I don’t spend my days making butter board recipes (or whatever nonsense is trending on TikTok) in order to get my work seen whilst also paying my bills. And, more importantly, you have something better than avocado toast recipes to inspire your cooking.
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 veg patch may be bare, but there is abundance all around because it’s Christmas and I am cloyingly excitable about Christmas. And even more so this year because 2025 is shaping up to be an absolute belter thanks to the publication of my next book, Rough Patch, and A Very Exciting New Thing which I can share with you in January (assuming I don’t burst before then).
This month then, join me in giddiness with a feast of wintery dishes to celebrate, a looooong list of cookbooks I’d like to find under the tree, and the latest on Rough Patch progress. And if you need a final Christmas pressie, how about the Planning the Veg Garden workshop I’m doing in Feb (more below).
But before I go and eat three veg-filled mince pies in one sitting (recipe below) I want to say thank you. I’m really, really grateful to you for reading Tales From the Veg Patch.
Have a lovely Christmas,
(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.)
December Feasting
Over the next couple of weeks, I have a whole lot of festive deliciousness for you. Stay tuned for:
Pear, apple and candied peel pine nut tart - a ‘not-mince a pie’ pie
Crusty, cheesy sprouts with celeriac dip - sprouts as you’ve never seen them before
Turkey and stuffing Caesar salad - gnarly, fatty nuggets of stuffing over crisp salad
Red cabbage with ham hock and puy lentils - an exclusive recipe from my next book, Rough Patch which is out 6th Feb 2025.
And in the meantime, here are some mostly-veggie recipes I’ll be cooking up from my kitchen archives this Christmas:
Celeriac soup with pickled forced rhubarb
And finally, I must remind you about my Veg-Filled Mince Pies which are, if I say so myself, the absolute business:
Veg Growing Day - 19th February, Nicholsons
Along with a whole host of events to celebrate the launch of Rough Patch (more on that in Jan), I’ll be hosting a day at Nicholsons Nurseries called ‘Planning the Veg Garden for the Year Ahead’. It’s a full day of hands on workshops, tours of the wonderful garden at Nicholson’s and a delicious lunch at the famous yurt cafe. It’s £120 and would be a cracking pressie. Here’s what to expect:
We'll cover all the essentials - deciding what to grow, sourcing and planting seeds and plants, planning the space, preparing the ground, and, crucially, keeping your head if it all gets too much! This hands-on workshop is ideal for people new to vegetable gardening and keen to make the most of their space whether that's a single raised bed or whole allotment.
My Substack Christmas List
My Christmas list is mostly cookbooks, no surprises there. But this year I noticed that most of those books are from fellow Substackers. Look:
- ’s Real Healthy
- ’s Vegetables
- ’s Good Eggs
- ’s Good Time Cooking
- ’s Seasoning
- ’s Comfort
- ’s A Table Full of Love
And if I hadn’t recently got it,
’s latest Quick Prep Slow Cook would be on there too.
Which just goes to show how Substack seeps into everything!
Rough Patch - 2 months to go
My next book, Rough Patch, has gone to print! The cover, as you can see, is all finished. Now, a shameless plea from me:
Wise indie publisher and Substacker,
, explains here why pre-orders are so vital, but, in summary, they determine the success of the book since booksellers only stock what’s already selling well (go figure). Not only that, but the sales in the first few weeks after release affect your chances of getting another book deal ever again. Really. Pre-orders are A Big Deal.So, if you’re thinking you’ll buy Rough Patch when it’s out, then it could quite literally change my writing life if you pre-ordered it now instead.
I know, I’m sorry to be dramatic, but it’s true.
In the meantime, stay tuned for exclusive recipes, a special Christmas reading (like this one but festive) and LOTS of exciting events coming up in the run up to publication day. Plus, a very special invitation for paid subscribers.
Know someone who might enjoy this free newsletter? Spread the word:
Thank you so much, Kathy! Ax
Thank you for the shout-out!