When food stylist and freelance graphic designer Karen Covey decided to write a cookbook, she didn’t need to go far for inspiration.

A Mattapoisett resident for 10 years, Covey has sought out the best farms, restaurants, and markets since moving to the area.

“It’s a little pocket of New England that is quietly growing all this amazing stuff,” Covey said. “There really wasn’t a cookbook about this region.”

The “home cook” spent a year putting together her ideas for the cookbook, named “The Coastal Table,” and another year working with Union Park Press to get it ready for print.

The result is a book filled with tantalizing photos of Covey’s recipes and the coast itself.

“I tried to focus as much about the recipes as about the life here,” Covey said.

Taking cues from other foodies in the area, she began creating and testing recipes with locally sourced ingredients.

Covey also expanded her vision of the book to include 12 chefs from Maine to Rhode Island and favorite eateries, including Turk’s Seafood in Mattapoisett.

“I tried to offer a wide variety of profiles in the book, from cheese maker to winemakers to people selling beef,” Covey said. “I wanted to provide people with a sampling of what you can find here and encourage them to go out there and explore on their own.”

Ultimately, Covey said “The Coastal Table” is still a cookbook first.

To perfect her recipes, she tested them out at dinner parties and had friends make them in their own kitchens. (Full disclosure: This reporter was one of the testers!)

“I wanted it to be relevant: quick and easy, fresh and flavorful,” said Covey. “Life on the coast isn’t about being fussy. It’s about being inspired by fresh seafood and fresh ingredients.”

The cookbook has something for everyone, she said, and it covers all four seasons – from baked fish with nasturtium butter to campfire brownies.

The cookbook recently hit shelves, and so far, “The reception has been amazing,” said Covey.

She was featured on Radio Boston and has book signings scheduled from the North Shore to the South Coast.

Covey will be at How on Earth on Sept. 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., for a book signing and at Town Wharf General Store on Sept. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m.

For more information, visit www.thecoastaltable.com. To try out a recipe from “The Coastal Table,” see the link below.