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Growing your own has become hugely popular, with long waiting lists for allotments countrywide – about 100,000 at the last count. If you are lucky enough to have a vegetable patch, you’ll enjoy The Allotment Cookbook through the Year (Dorling Kindersley, £16.99). And, even if you haven’t got space to grow vegetables, there’s masses to inspire you within this book.

I love the way the book is arranged by season and then by crop. There’s a useful panel of information on the best harvest time, preserving techniques and freezing options for each type of produce – the section on herbs, for example, also features advice on herb ice cubes, herb oil mixes and herb butters. There are further sections on salting vegetables, making fruit jam and freezing fruit – all practical ideas to allow you to enjoy your produce when it’s no longer available.

As always with Dorling Kindersley’s books, the layouts are clean and clear with luscious photography. The book’s 200 recipes are very appealing, with most featuring just a short list of ingredients. Enticing recipes include Borlotti beans with tomatoes and capers, Sweetcorn fritters with tomato salsa, Seafood Gumbo and Chilled rice pudding with warm berry sauce.

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