Never trust a chicken.” They’re well-researched words of advice from Rosie Daykin, offered as she sits at her dining room table overlooking her tidy front garden and waves her index finger back and forth. Daykin is laughing as she affectionately talks about her “girls” — three chickens, named Olive, Coco and Regina. She, is however, serious about not trusting them.
“Just don’t,” she says. “They will eat up everything in your garden if you are not careful. I learned that the hard way.”
Spending time with Daykin in her bright, spacious open-plan kitchen, you can’t help but feel as though you’ve been friends for years. Shortbread cookies are on the table and the kettle is on for some tea from your gracious host. Wearing a festive sweater, Pickle, her senior Chihuahua, also comes by to say hello. And off in the distance, you hear the faint rumblings of the chickens. “I’ll show you the girls later,” Daykin says with a smile. “I love my chickens, but they are a force to be reckoned with.” Those so-called “forces” reside in their luxurious chicken coop and they often roam around freely in the back garden, but she also had to find more ways to prevent them accessing her side garden and eating their way through everything within their reach. According to Daykin, “If lawnmowers had feathers and constantly pooped, they would be chickens.”
Despite her initial words of caution, Daykin is thrilled that she and her husband, Paul, made the decision to have chickens. And the trio of fowl has a starring role in her latest cookbook, The Side Gardener: Recipes & Notes from My Garden. Not only do the girls show up in pictures throughout the book, there is also an entire chapter devoted to raising them as Daykin is keen to share what she has learned.
She says that although chickens, like any family pet, “can add a richness and quality to your life,” they are also a lot of work. In the book, she offers a thoughtful but “brutally honest” approach to caring for chickens.
“There was many a moment I found myself craving roast chicken for dinner, but somehow the prospect of finding that first egg in the coop made all their annoying personal habits a little more bearable. Taller fences and more chicken wire also helped.”
Daykin is equally direct and excited when talking about the flower and vegetable garden she built on the side of her Westside home, the inspiration for her fourth cookbook. Although she is quick to remind us that this is not a gardening manual. “This book is a deeper dive into things that I am interested in and passionate about,” Daykin says. “A bit more exposure [to] me as a person.”
As with Daykin’s previous three cookbooks, her voice comes through on every page and it feels as though she is right there with you in the kitchen and in the garden, or even as you contemplate the crazy notion of potentially raising chickens in the city. Like a good friend, she wants to ensure your success by offering helpful tips, tools and strategies, sharing everything she has learned along the way.
Daykin sees The Side Gardener as a natural progression from her previous book, Let Me Feed You, which won gold in the 2020 Taste Canada Awards. Both books were intentionally different from her first two cookbooks — Butter Baked Goods and Butter Celebrates! Based on recipes and the look and feel of her charming bakery, aptly called Butter, these books defined Daykin, her food and her personal style for many years. “I wanted to step out from the Butter umbrella, from the pink and pistachio, and write something that was more reflective of me personally,” says Daykin, who sold the Vancouver bakery in 2021.
The Side Gardener has an earthier look and feel, but still reflects Daykin’s overall design aesthetic, which is elegant without being too fussy. However, she also wants to convey a deeper message that is important to her. “It’s not just about the garden, it’s about being thoughtful and mindful about the food we are eating and cooking with.” As a result, the recipes are sophisticatedly un- complicated, allowing the fresh produce to shine. You also won’t find her using any fancy equipment, except maybe for a spiralizer because, according to Daykin, “it’s kind of fun.”
Deciding what to plant in her side garden has evolved through trial and error. In the end, when it came to fruits and vegetables, it was more about growing what she likes to eat. Consequently, you won’t find any garlic growing in her garden or in many of her recipes as she is allergic. However, by using fresh produce and splurging on higher quality ingredients, such as European butter, Daykin’s food is simple to make but layered with rich flavour and, of course, it looks pretty when plated.
Although all of the recipes are vegetable-forward, Daykin is quick to say, “It’s not meant to be a vegetarian cookbook, but a reflection of the things I grow with recipes that don’t need a million ingredients.” From delicious fried radishes and a simple but decadent chocolate zucchini cake to the versatile wilted greens tart, expect many of these recipes to become staples in your ev- eryday cooking.
The Side Gardener thoughtfully and visually reflects all that matters to Daykin, which has been beautifully captured through Andrew Montgomery’s photography. “A big part of this exercise was knowing how I wanted the book to look,” says Daykin, who deliberately sought out the Irish photographer. They bonded instantly, and together they prepared and shot 65 recipes in six days, in May of 2021. Montgomery also took some pictures in the garden and the surrounding area, and came back later in July to photograph the garden in full bloom.
Daykin is proud of this book and hopes readers will feel inspired, and well guided to consider planting their own garden, even if it means using pots on a patio. “The benefits for me are huge in terms of working in the garden, and it makes everything a little more beautiful,” Daykin says. “I know that people prefer low maintenance, but sometimes the things that are a little more work are worth it.”
In terms of what’s next for Rosie Daykin, she is back working as an interior designer (work she did before starting the bakery) and hints at writing another book. In the meantime, she is enjoying some free time and, with her daughter India’s help, has been rebuilding her social media presence. She also created a free newsletter on Substack called Pigeonhole, where she shares recipes, gardening tips, design advice and more. She chose the name because she no longer wants to be known for just one thing.
The girls also keep Daykin busy and are quite vocal as she approaches their coop. Once out, Coco and Regina noisily head to their vast chicken run in the backyard while Olive, who is more social and Daykin’s favourite, sticks close to her as she putters around the side garden. Not surprisingly, Olive is featured on Daykin’s home page for her new website (as is Pickle).
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