As the weather grows warmer and the days longer, I start thinking about gardens. Because I’ve neither inherited nor developed a green thumb, I usually rely upon farmers’ markets and horticulturally-gifted friends for my garden-fresh produce. However, after reading and cooking from Nigel Slater’s Tender (Ten Speed Press, 2011), I’m tempted to give gardening another try. After all, if Slater can harvest runner beans, pumpkins and eggplants on his small, London terrace, surely I could learn to grow a tomato or two.

In Tender the British food writer shares his experiences planting, cooking and consuming 29 different vegetables. He offers advice on seed selection, composting, humane pest control and gardening tools. Of course, he also discusses cooking techniques, explaining that asparagus needs only a quick steaming or boiling and raw celery root a splash of flavorful vinaigrette to make them great eating.

The 400 or so recipes in Tender are straightforward but delightful nonetheless. Some, such as root vegetable korma, chowder of mussels and leeks, or salad of beans, peas and Pecorino, stand on their own as entrees. Others, such as a Parmesan and olive oil mash or roast cherry tomatoes, serve as lovely sides. A few, including ‘a chicken lunch for a searingly hot summer’s day’ and sea bass with lemon potatoes, provide both main and accompanying dish.

Slater doesn’t focus on savory offerings alone. He also presents delectable, vegetable-infused desserts such as carrot cake, chocolate-beet cake and pumpkin scones. If it can grow in a pot or patch, Slater will have a recipe ready for that vegetable.

Although I devoured his gardening anecdotes, I can only utilize some of the many growing tips. While the East Coast’s climate is somewhat comparable to the UK’s, not every vegetable is planted at the same as or fairs as well as it would in England. Nonetheless, I still loved Slater’s informative and charming stories about nurturing and cultivating produce.

Even if I wimp out and never plant a single seed, I’m glad that I picked up and read this book. Likewise am I happy that I’ve cooked from Tender. Sensible and sensational, it’s a wonderful cookbook for any level of cook.