The Abel & Cole Cookbook

Written by Keith Abel

Having made regular appearances on people’s doorsteps with their much-loved fruit and veg boxes, Abel & Cole have released a recipes book to celebrate the produce they deliver around the country. Keith Abel lovingly imparts his favourite recipes, collected from the farmers and producers that he’s worked with over the past 18 years.

Before launching into recipes mode, the book also takes a look at Abel & Cole’s history, and how the company managed to grow from one man and his van, to a fleet of vans, delivering around the UK daily. A wonderful antidote to supermarket shopping, Abel & Cole has held onto its integrity, working with farmers and artisan food producers to offer people good food, with fair pricing all round.

The cookbook breaks up into four seasonal sections with delights such as spinach & walnut pasta, Baba Ghanoush and Potato & Kohlrabi gratin. Meat lovers have no need to go off and cry in the corner, in the name of exclusion. Hearty dishes such as Calcutta lamb burgers, bacon & eggs with apple and parsnip, and vanilla roasted loin of pork will have you dribbling onto your apron and raring to get cooking.

For the sweeter-toothed foodie, there are some great ways to experiment with seasonal fruits. Berry soup, custardy pumpkin pie and mango lassi are all presented in straight forward language, with plenty of mentions in terms of provenance.

Whether you’re a vegaholic, a bit of a carnivore or a die hard dessert type, there’s something for everyone in this cookbook. With it’s light hearted, approachable tone it’s a great book to bestow on someone who needs a gentle nudge in the direction of the kitchen. A few pages in, and you’ll be dying to cook up the lot.

The Abel & Cole Cookbook by Keith Abel is published by Collins in paperback, priced at £12.99