It might sound a simple idea- buying locally and cooking seasonal produce, but one we risk losing sight of in our modern supermarket culture.

In the book Shop Local, Eat Well , Kathryn Hawkins and Laura Faire show readers how easy and satisfying it can be to eat according to Mother Nature's calendar. This is the way to go if you want to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables at the peak of their goodness.

Kathryn is a food writer based in Scotland, and works for a wide range of clients in the UK food industry. She is also the author of several other cookbooks including Chocolate!, Fruit!, Bread! and The Allotment Cookbook.

Laura Faire is a New Zealand chef, food writer and professional recipe developer.  She trained in London and has held a range of positions in the hospitality industry over many years. She is passionate about using quality ingredients when they are in season.

“Kathryn originally wrote this book for the UK market, and the publishers got in touch with me to translate it to suit the New Zealand market,” Laura told Rural Living.

The book features more than 100 recipes ranging from classics to more unusual fusions, all featuring delicious New Zealand fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, herbs and more. There is quite an interesting mix including a Venison and Juniper Pie, Walnut and Goat's Cheese Crusted Hapuku, Gooseberry Cheesecake, or Plum and Almond Ricotta Cream Trifle.

“It involved a lot of research and took longer than I thought, as there was not much information available in some cases. But I really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot about food and even publishing,” she laughed.

While flying in produce from far-flung corners of the globe might give us more choice on our tables, what we gain in variety we often lose in quality and flavour. Not only that, we happen to harm our environment as well in the process.

“Our supermarkets support us by labelling the place of origin of products. So the consumers need to raise their consciousness and look for locally grown produce.

“From a chef’s point of view, it’s the flavour in the food that’s most important, and the freshness of ingredients helps to achieve that. Using local produce not only supports the environment, it brings communities together when they share their knowledge of ingredients and recipes,” she added authoritatively.

Shop Local, Eat Well is an inspirational book and a great guide to get the best out of locally sourced produce while doing your bit to save the planet. Crisply and decoratively illustrated, and printed in two colours throughout, the book is planned to be released by the end of May 2009.