Category: Counting On …

Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on

Counting on day 230 

1st July 2022

According to the UN’s Global Climate Action newsletter, declining biodiversity is an increasingly acute problem. “The faster we degrade and lose biodiversity, the worst climate change, and the food crisis, will grow. The sooner we act to protect, conserve, sustainably use and regenerate nature within the 2020s, the stronger our chances of reaching net zero emissions before 2050 and becoming resilient to impacts we can’t hold back.” 

Reducing our consumption of meat will alleviate declining biodiversity by reducing the pressure on the amount of farm land needed to produce the food we eat and freeing up land that can be re-wilded.

Counting on … day 229 

30th June 2022

And last from the batch, red carlin peas. Using the last of the week’s OddBox, I  fried onion, garlic and red pepper together and then added cooked potatoes and cauliflower, stirred a while before finally adding the drained peas and a couple of spoons of chutney. Here it is being served with baba ganoush. 

Counting on … day 228 

29th June 2022

The wrinkled peas have become a version of risi bisi but rather than rice I have used porridge oats. Beginning with a chopped onion and come garlic cooked in oil, I added the oat flakes as if I were making a risotto. Next I added the  peas and their cooking liquid and a chopped tomato, and  stirring from time to time allowed the oats to swell and absorb the liquid. For extra flavour I added some pepper and nutmeg. Once the desired texture was achieved, I added some nutritional yeast flakes (ones fortified with vitamin  B12). Another  time I might add lemon juice and zest, or parsley, or salted lemon for different flavours. 

Counting on…day 227 

28th June 2022

The yellow split peas have become this week’s sandwich spread. This is a type of hummus ( true hummus is made from chick peas). The drained peas are blitzed to a paste with the juice of a lemon, some olive oil, garlic and a couple of spoons of tahini. Exact quantities vary as necessary  to achieve the desired texture. If it becomes too runny, I add pumpkin or sunflower seeds to thicken things. Extra flavours come by adding pepper or paprika, lemon zest or herbs: I especially like dill.

Counting on … day 226 

27th June 2022

The cooked chicken peas I have combined with chopped mushrooms and Brazil nuts and wrapped in a flaky pastry case, adapting a recipe from Betty’s Cookery School (of Harrogate tea room fame). 

Flaky pastry made from250g flour and 225g vegan butter

Filling made from a chopped onion, fried with garlic, to which I added about 250g of chopped mushrooms, flavoured with black pepper and rosemary. After a little more cooking, I added 100g each chick peas and chopped Brazil nuts. To add more flavour, I added a spoonful of quince jelly and some poppy seeds. Finally I added a couple of spoons of polenta to absorb any moisture, before laying the filling in the middle of the rolled out pastry. The edges of the pastry I cut into and plaited, before baking 30+ minutes at 200C. 

Counting on … day 225

26th June 2022

In an earlier blog I explained how I cook a week’s worth of beans/ pulses at a time. This includes chick peas, red Carlin peas, wrinkled green peas, yellow split peas and marrow fat peas. How will these  turn into meals?

The cooked marrow fat peas I put in a dish and baked in the oven (30c minutes at 200C) with chopped tomatoes, olive oil and black pepper, and served with roast cauliflower and potatoes. 

Counting on …day 223 

24th June 2022

There is a growing awareness of the importance of both silence and green spaces as contributors to our physical and mental well being. Nearby Ham House has a lovely lavender garden which is just coming into flower providing a multi sensory experience. At various times during the week it is available as a quiet space, part of the Silent Space network – https://silentspace.org.uk/what-we-do/

 Counting on … day 222

23rd June 2022

Kew Gardens in the sun is the place for an ice cream treat. The ice cream stand not only offers three plant based flavours, but also compares the carbon footprint of the different flavours on offer. The vegan strawberry ice cream has half the carbon footprint of its clotted cream sister. 

I wonder if they would sell more vegan ice cream if those flavours featured at the top of the bill board? 

 Counting on ….day 221

22nd June 2022

Carbon Independent suggests that having calculated your carbon footprint, you should set a target of reducing it by 10% each year. The two biggest contributors to my carbon footprint are gas for heating and my general spending. Having turned true gas boiler off for the summer, I will see whether that gives the desired reduction. As regards general spending, I will look at the carbon footprint of what I am buying – but the Carbon Independent calculator is not very sensitive so I am will need a different calculator.