Another NZ cookbook with recipes following the seasons, advocating local, organic foods, including gardening hints and wrapped up with soft focus photography – so what is different about this book? The passion of the author, I think. Laura Faire is a trained chef who lives in Auckland and I am guessing she has put a great deal of her heart and soul into this book which is more than a glossy front for a stylish cafe.

It is not simple food, though some of the recipes are simple enough. Sorrel pesto is not difficult as long as you have the main ingredient in the garden (it did make me want to grow sorrel). Asparagus and Ricotta Tart with Caraway Pastry introduced a new flavour combination, to me at least, and I am planning to try the Green Garlic and Almond Port Terrine which looks delicious. Each recipe has the preparation time detailed, which is helpful when planning to cook a new recipe. Most of it is good food to share with friends, rather than everyday meals for the family. You need a well-stocked pantry and some semblance of a vegetable and flower garden would be helpful too.

The author is a keen home gardener but not particularly experienced. The Husband looked at the photo on the front cover and commented that I did not look like that when I garden. That could be because I don’t garden wearing a pristine, long-sleeved white shirt and the digging pose did not suggest she had done a lot of it in the past. I quite liked the garden hints because they did not pretend to be comprehensive so were wonderfully random and eclectic. That said, there is a bit of a question mark over some of them (strawberries fruiting best in their second year and peas cropping more if you pick them frequently, for example). But the food is what matters in this book and the author is passionate about good food and the pleasure that can be achieved by taking the time and effort to prepare fresh food to share. That passion is engaging.

Now is the Season by Laura Faire (New Holland; ISBN: 978 1 86966 316 2) reviewed by Abbie Jury.