My inspiration The storyso far
Myloveofgardeningstartedbyhelping
mymotherinherbackgardeninZambia,
whereI wasbornandbroughtup,before
I movedtoUKinmy20s.Itwasmainly
vegbeds,witha fewmangotreesanda
beautifulmulberrybush.ShegrewIndian
vegetablesshewasfamiliarwith,likebitter
gourdandpigeonpeas,butalsonative
Africancropssuchascassavaandmaize.
Shetaughtustobeadventurousinthe
kitchen,andalthoughI cookBritishdishes,
I liketogivethema twist.I’llsprinkle
turmeric,garlicandcuminpowderonfish
in apietoaddwarm,smokedf lavours,and
addhome-madecelerysalttothemash.
Aboveall,mymotherallowedustohave
funinthekitchen,underherwatchfuleye!
Andnow,asa mothermyself,I enjoy
makingwholesomedishesformyfamily.
Fromfarleft:
Rekha’sallotment
provideshernot
onlywithyear-
roundseasonal
veg,butalsoherbs,
spicesandflowers
aplenty;colourful
Cornodi Toro
peppersare
lovingRekha’s
greenhouse;
smallbutwell
planned– thehalf
plotevenhasthe
oddtinyfruittreeRekha Mistry’s interest in food has always been about where it
comes from. A passion for growing and cooking her own produce
led herto share her findings and seasonal recipes on her website:
rekha ardenkitchen.com, and on Facebook and Instagram
@rekha. arden.kitchen.I got my half-allotment in the summer
of 2011, pretty much within a month of
applying for one.
I jumped at the chance to have a plot
close to my home in Harrow, north west
London. The plot had been unused and
there was a fair amount of work needed
to clear it, but I wasn’t fazed by that.
And I knew it would be worth it in the
end: everyday cooking has always been
a pleasure for me, and now I had the
chance to grow my own food and then
cook it. It was these exciting thoughts that
kept me going while clearing the plot. I
knew it was a dream that only a few people
actually achieve and I wanted to be one of
them. Eight years later, the dream of
cooking and eating my own seasonal
produce has finally come true. »
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