To say Rosie Daykin is a woman of many talents is an understatement. The best-selling cookbook author is also the founder of one of Vancouver’s most beloved bakeries, Butter Baked Goods, and is an accomplished interior designer, as the food-and-prop styling in her new cookbook The Side Gardener: Recipes and Notes from My Garden, can attest. 

Daykin began this project of creating a potager and cutting garden in 2020, when a forlorn swath of her side yard called out for her attention. Like many pandemic gardeners, she was able to dive fully into the work, and the fruits of her labour are many, not least of which is this gorgeous new book. More than simply a cookbook, it is filled with tips and anecdotes from Daykin, providing a window into her abundant urban oasis in Vancouver’s Dunbar neighbourhood (yes, she also has chickens) and the fresh and easy-to-make meals and flowers it furnishes. 

Shot by renowned British photographer Andrew Montgomery, recipes include dishes like Beet, blackberry & buckwheat salad, Tomato galette, Wilted greens tart, and desserts (of course) such as Roasted balsamic strawberry shortcakes. There is also an entire chapter devoted to flowers, such as the multi-hued dahlias and sweet peas Daykin grows.

Rosie Daykin will make a personal appearance on opening day of Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE at Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden on June 21, 2024 at 11 a.m. In conversation with Fleurs de Villes co-founder Tina Barkley, she’ll share her tips and tricks (and maybe even some pitfalls!) of starting your own vegetable and flower garden from scratch. 

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Scroll down for a taste of what to expect with this delicious recipe for her Side Garden Panzanella Salad.

SIDE GARDEN PANZANELLA SALAD

Makes 4 servings 

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Salad

4 thick slices sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch/2.5 cm cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

¼ pound/113 g green beans, trimmed

4 large tomatoes, seeds removed and cut into 8 wedges each

1 cup/140 g fresh English peas 6 to 8 radishes, thinly sliced

1 English cucumber, cut into 1-inch/2.5 cm pieces

1 big handful arugula

1 handful fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

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Dressing

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ cup/125 ml olive oil

Many of the recipes in this book allow for a lot of flexibility on the produce used, given that we might not all choose to grow the same things—so don’t hesitate to switch things up in this salad if you need to. You can always replace the arugula with another leaf of your choice or green beans with asparagus.

You could use raw beets in place of the radishes or chunks of zucchini in lieu of cucumber, but trust me when I tell you there is no substitute for the goodness of toasty, salty, olive oily bread chunks.

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To make the salad: Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the cubed bread pieces in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Use your hands or a large spoon to toss and coat the pieces.

Spread the bread across the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt and Italian seasoning. Place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until the bread is just starting to get a little crispy and brown. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool.

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Gently lower the trimmed green beans into the boiling water and allow them to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until a lovely bright green. Remove the beans from the heat and drain through a colander. Run cold water over the beans for a minute or so and then set them aside to drain.

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil while continuing to whisk until the dressing is fully combined.

In a large serving bowl, combine the tomatoes, green beans, fresh peas, radishes, cucumber, arugula, basil, chives, and bread. Dress the salad and toss to combine.

Excerpted from The Side Gardener by Rosie Daykin. Copyright 2024 Rosie Daykin. Photographs by Andrew Montgomery. Published by Appetite, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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