City Food News Spring 2013

www.bh food . o rg . uk 1

city foodIssue 26 | Spring 2013

See inside for more news, issues and events near you

Spring seedling swapFour new city orchards

Cooking with less salt

BrightonFish Festival

Big Dig Week pull out

programme

Meet theCookabilitygraduates p24 & 25 CommunityNutrition p26 & 27

Seasonal menu

Harvest news p20-23

2 city food news

Food Partnership news andreviews p4-8How food waste adds up p9Make your own spice blends p10-11

Kale & Feta chicken recipe p12Big Dig Week pull outprogramme p13- 16Brighton & HoveSustainable Fish Campaign p17-19

Food Partnership News


Vic Borrill became the FoodPartnership Director in 2008. A bigpart of Vic’s role is developing positiverelationships with others in the city.This ranges from learning from thecity’s fantastic food projects to gettingpolicy makers to ‘think food’. Vic describes it as a dream job; she’s

passionate about using food as a way toinspire and engage people aroundhealth and sustainabilityHere’s a (typical) week:

Monday Met with the Institute of Welsh Affairs.We get lots of enquiries from otherplaces in the UK who want to replicateor learn from our model. Met about the Sustainable Fish

Campaign and discussed how to engagelarge caterers with this work. If theschool meals service can get MSCcertification for all of the fish served I’msure that other public institutions can!

Tuesday Attended board meeting. Our Boardmeet quarterly to discuss finances,staffing, strategy and projects.

Wednesday Helped run a Community and VoluntarySector Forum event to draft the sectorsresponse to the Health and Wellbeingstrategy.

We’d lobbied for healthy weight andgood nutrition to be included as apriority and this meeting really helpedto flesh out ideas. The meeting echoedwhat we’d been hearing elsewhere –food and fuel price increases are reallyhitting residents. I undertook a similar exercise looking

at the draft One Planet LivingSustainability Action Plan. These twopieces of work have different leads(health and sustainability) but many ofthe messages around diets are thesame… will continue to lobby for jointworking in these areas.

Thursday Met an EU funding advisor about‘Orchards without Borders’, a potentialnew project between Brighton & Hoveand Normandy, France.

FridayParticipated in the Allotment StrategyWorking group. It’s great to see theCouncil’s commitment to working with theAllotment Federation as equal partnerson the production of this strategy.

Sunday Not a normal working day, but SeedySunday is a seasonal highlight. Workedon the Food Partnership stall, stock upon potatoes for the allotment and jamfrom the Care Coops farm.

Meet the FoodPartnership Director

4 city food news

Love Your LoafThe Food Partnership teamed up withSainsbury’s West Hove to inspire over200 people on 8th and9th February to makethe most of theirbread, the top wastedfood in the UK. Chef Ollycreated tantalisingdishes such asstovetop breadpudding usingbread donatedby the store bakery,saving more loavesfrom the bin.

Take part in the My(co) Garden Lab experiment

A report published by the Institutionof Mechanical Engineers revealedthat 30-50% of the global supply offood is wasted. The report found thatin developing countries food waste is

due to inadequate storage andtransportation, while indeveloped nations our retail andconsumer behaviours are

responsible. In light of the world’spopulation growing to 9 billion by2050, food waste is now firmly in

the context of global foodsecurity, and there isgrowing urgency toaddress it.

Find out what you can dowww.bhfood.org.uk/love-food-hate-waste

Espresso Mushroom Company turnswaste coffee grounds into deliciousoyster mushrooms, but even they endup with “waste” in the form of spentmushroom compost. Very littleresearch exists on this type of compostand how well it works. To this end

Espresso Mushroom are enlisting thehelp of green-fingered growers to helptrial the compost and share theirresults along the way. Visitwww.espressomushroom.co.uk to findout how it’s going.

Half of theworld’s foodgets wasted



Food banks have seen a big rise indemand from people who are unable toafford basic food, and they are bracingthemselves for another increase whenbenefit cuts bite in April.Benefit reforms will hit low paid

working people as well as those whoare unemployed, and follow bigincreases in the price of food and fuel.Locally, an increasing number ofpeople are facing the choice betweenputting on the heating and putting foodon the table – and skipping meals hasbecome a way of life for many.Local organisations who attended a

recent Food Poverty event were

concerned that many local serviceswhich can help people in need are beingcut just when they are needed most.The event called on councillors and

other decision makers to recognise thisgrowing problem; and made a series ofrecommendations which can be foundat www.bhfood.org.uk/foodpoverty

Poverty: Why it matters now

We are reallypleased to beworking inpartnership withthe BUPA centre in Brighton, whoare launching a series of staffwellbeing events. The BUPA centrehave recently achieved a goldHealthy Choice Award for theirworkplace restaurant, which providestaff with healthy meal options.The Food Partnership offers a

range of activities which can helpworkplaces to achieve their targetsfor Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR), including communityvolunteering opportunities andEatwell workshops for staff.Contact Vicky for more [email protected], 01273 431717

BUPA staff enjoyhealthier food

Launched in 2012, the Brighton &Hove Living Wage Campaign aimsto encourage local businesses tovoluntarily pay all employees atleast £7.20 per hour. Vic Borrill, Food Partnership

Director says:“The difference between

someone working a 40hr week onminimum wage (£6.19) as opposedto Living Wage is a £40 a weekdifference, which is a significantamount when making food choices.We’ve signed up to the campaignnot just to supportour staff andhelp raise theissue of aLiving Wage,but as a keycomponent ofour work to prevent people havingto make unhealthy / unsustainablefood choices because they can’tafford not to”.Show your commitment as a localbusiness and sign up nowwww.livingwagebrighton.co.uk

6 city food news

Developerstake foodgrowingseriously The innovative Planning Advisory Note(PAN) encouraging new developmentsto include food growing was adopted byB&H City Council over a year ago.Monitoring has shown that 39% of newbuilds since have included foodgrowing in their planning application.Public land secured for woodland aspart of a Section 106 agreement at TheKeep archive centre (see pg 21) nowincludes an orchard at the requests ofthe community. Other examples includea housing association development inHove which includes raised beds, fruitand nut tree planting and containers onbalconies. The PAN has attracted muchattention from other areas who nowwant to include similar policies in theirplanning process. For furtherinformation see www.foodmatters.org

The FoodPartnershipsigns up to theLiving WageCampaign

To celebrate completion of the nineweek MEND programme, 11 childrenand their families took to the slopes atKnockhatch in Hailsham for a funtobogganing session in celebration ofthe healthy lifestyle changes they’vemade whilst attending MEND. Oneparent commented that her child wouldnever have been able to run around andenjoy activity like this before joining the programme. Once they’ve completed the

programme, all MEND families areinvited to attend ongoing activitiesincluding weekly fun games at theAMEX stadium with the Albion in theCommunity team.To book a place for your child on the

MEND programme call 01273 431703.


Learn by doing in East BrightonLearning whilst creating two newcommunity food growingspaces is the ideabehind a projectfunded by theCommunity LearningInnovation Fund. Thefund seeks to supportnew and creativelearning opportunitiesparticularly in moredeprived areas.Learning activities have started at

Moulsecoomb Community Garden (a

new space behind the primary school)including construction ofraised beds, cookery,fruit tree care and pondbuilding. At Race HillCommunity Orchardactivities includeorchard preparationand tree care.A wide range of

cooking and growingclasses will be available for local adults– full details are available on the FoodPartnership website.

MENDfamilies hitthe slopes


8 city food news

Queen of the Sun –What are the beestelling us? Film review byJosie Jeffery – FoodPartnership Boardmember Directed andproduced by TaggartSiegel, this is afeature length documentary all aboutbees. It takes us on a journey that isboth joyful and heart-wrenching, fromhumble backyard beekeeping toorganic farms and bee sanctuaries, tolarge scale commercial beekeeping. This enchanting film speaks of the

ancient relationships between humansand bees, beginning 10,000 years agowhen bees were worshipped as sacred.The film goes on to show how honeyproduction became mechanised in aneffort to control nature. It explains how neonicotinoids found

in the pesticides used on cash cropsand domestic gardens can cause colonycollapse and how the large scaletransportation of bees (to pollinatemonoculture crops in the US) isdevastating native colonies.In a way, Queen of the Sun is a

romantic story of the flower, the bee andthe beekeepers, who feel like they are‘chosen’ by the bees to protect them,the future of the plant and the animalkingdom, and food security itself.www.queenofthesun.com

The Hairy DietersBook review byVicky Veevers –CommunityNutritionist I really like thisbook. From theoutset, the HairyBikers, Si & Dave,make it clear thatportion control and using high calorieingredients sparingly is key; it’s amessage echoed by our own HealthyWeight team at the Food Partnership.The handy ‘top tips’ at the beginning ofeach chapter are full of great weightloss and food swap ideas. These areuseful for anybody trying to makehealthy lifestyle changes, not just thosewanting to lose weight.The book provides a range of tasty

and easy to follow recipes, showingthat eating healthier doesn’t have tomean giving up all your old favourites. Iespecially like the ‘Fakeaways’ sectionthat revamps classic takeaway choices,helping save you money, as well ascutting down on calories.Don’t forget though, healthier doesn’t

always mean healthy – keep your dietvaried and if you are following this bookas part of a healthy lifestyle change, trynot to just cook from the pies andpuddings section!

Reviews

By Vera Zakharov, LFHW Co-ordinator

Most of us don’t waste that much food, dowe? A slice of bread here, a small potatothere are just tiny drops in the bucket.But multiply that by 25 million UKhouseholds and it soon adds up. Here aresome facts to illustrate the hidden scaleof food waste, and inspire us to takesmall actions that equal big change*.

Spare some changeThe most expensive food waste is whatwe leave on our plates. £1.7 billion ofour home-made and pre-preparedmeals is scraped into the bin. A fewspoons’ worth is tough to save for later,so avoid it in the first place. Use theLove Food Hate Waste portioncalculator, even for foods like meat andveg. Serve mains and sides in separatedishes, which makes it easier to saveleftovers, especially if you’re diningwith fussy eaters. Every scrap saved ismore change in your piggy bank.

The lonely loaf endsThe humble loaf of bread accounts forthe heaviest food waste, at 540,000tonnes yearly, costing us £640 million.If each household only wastes one sliceof bread per week, that adds up to amind-boggling 59 million loaves a year.If you’re worried your bread will gomouldy, let it breathe. Even slicedbread can be kept in a perforated bag,

which means that it will turn staleinstead of green, and you can still use itfor breadcrumbs or french toast. Theends are great for toasted sandwiches.

Down the drain4% of UK’s water use is lost through foodwaste. A piece of steak takes 2,300 litresof water to produce, while a loaf of breadtakes 1,300 litres (that’s almost 60 litresin a single slice!). But the biggest guzzlerof water is our daily cup of coffee, whichtakes up 140 litres. Make only as muchas you need, or refrigerate and reheatthe leftover brew later if you prefer.

Get saucyWe waste 200,000 tonnes ofcondiments and sauces, costing us£700,000 annually. But sauces freezewell and can be used later in a varietyof ways. If you have bits of jam left inthe jar, add some milk, close and shakefor a quick treat, or use a bit of yoghurtand water for a healthier drink.Find more facts, recipes and tips atwww.bhfood.org.uk/love-food-hate-waste. * Source: WRAP Household Food andDrink Waste in the UK Nov 2009


Love Food Hate Waste

It All Adds Up

10 city food news

Basic Spice Shaker1 Tbsp. ground marjoram1 Tbsp. ground thyme1-½ tsp. ground basil1-½ tsp. ground black pepper1-½ tsp. ground oregano

Herb & Onion Blend¼ cup instant choppedonion1 Tbsp. sweet basil1 Tbsp. ground cumin1 Tbsp. garlic powder1 Tbsp. cracked blackpepper

Enhanced Seasoning1 tsp. crumbled thyme leaves1 tsp. marjoram leaves1 tsp. celery seed1 tsp. garlic powder½ tsp. onion powder½ tsp. curry powder½ tsp. dried dill weed2 Tbsp. paprika

Although the average UK householdowns about 15 recipe books, we onlycook the same 6 or 7 meals each week;when we go shopping we fillour wonky trolleyswith the sameingredients. It turnsout that we reallyare creatures ofhabit. So the thoughtof changing ourmeals to healthieroptions can besimply terrifying forsome of us, or at best exhausting. One of the little changes often talked

about is reducing the amount of salt you

put in your food, but this can often be atthe expense of flavour, and bland mealsoften leave us reaching for the salt cellar.

Salt is classed as aflavour enhancerbecause of the way itinteracts with foodmolecules and thetongue’s tastereceptors. On its ownit is not that pleasant,and I always think:why enhance a littleflavour when you can

just create more flavour in the first place? Flavour in your food is created by two

things – what ingredients you use and

Create Your Own Spice ShakersMaking your own dried herb combinations will save you time (and money) whenmaking recipes. Mix all ingredients well.

Change the way you cook for a

Healthier HeartBy Alan Lugton, Community Cookery Manager


Community Cookery

how you cook them. Cookingtechniques can make a hugecontribution to the flavour of your meal,as it directly affects the ingredients andchanges how your tongue will taste it.However, many people’s skills do notextend to the more subtle techniques ofbraising, sautéing, poaching and thelike; and this can be a big barrier tobeing adventurous with food.For most, the best way to achieve

flavour is by adding more ingredients.There are quite literally thousands ofingredients available to us today fromaround the world you can use to makeyour meals more exciting; and I

thoroughly encourage you to go outthere, get stuck in and find somethingnew and exotic to add to your nextmeal. However, if you want to startsimple then here are a few ideas toconsider before you reach for the salt.

Meat seasoning ideasTo season TryPoultry basil, fresh ginger,

mushrooms, marjoram,paprika, parsley, sage,summer savoury, thyme

Lamb curry powder, basil, garlic,mint, onion, oregano, parsley,pineapple, or rosemary

Pork apples, garlic, marjoram,onion, sage, clove

Beef bay leaf, chive, mustard,garlic, green peppercorn,marjoram, mushrooms,nutmeg, onion, pepper,sage, thyme, or tomato

Fish basil, bay leaf, curry, dill, drymustard, garlic, greenpepper, lemon butter, lemonjuice, marjoram, mushrooms,paprika, parsley, tarragon,thyme, or tomato

Vegetable seasoning ideasTo season TryAsparagus chives, herb butter, or

lemon juiceGreen dill seed, chives, lemon beans juice, nutmeg, marjoram,

onion, rosemary, or scallionsBroccoli lemon juiceCabbage dill seed, or mustard

dressing/pasteCauliflower nutmegCorn chives, curry, onions, or

parsleyPeas chervil, chives, fresh

mushrooms, lemon juice,mint, onion, or parsley

Potatoes green peppers, mace,onion, or parsley

Squash allspice, basil, ginger,mace, or sautéed onion

Tomatoes basil, chives, curry, marjoram,onions, parsley, or sugar

Kale & Feta chicken en papilloteLemon brightens the flavour of kale and cooking in parchment keeps the chickenmoist and tender. It’s easy to whip up too.

Ingredients• 250 ml water• 280g chopped fresh kale leaves• 10 ml rapeseed or olive oil• 4 x spring onions, thinly sliced• 3 cloves garlic, minced• 1 tsp grated lemon rind• 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice• 80g finely crumbled feta cheese• 10g chopped fresh dill • 4 small boneless skinless chickenbreasts (about 500g)

Method1 In a large non-stick frying panbring water to boil and add kale.Cover and cook for 5 minutes oruntil wilted and bright green.Drain well and return to pan.2 Add oil, spring onions andgarlic and cook over mediumheat for about 5 minutes. Thenset aside.3 Mix the lemon rind and juice, feta and dill, and add it tothe kale.4 Slice into the chicken along theside horizontally almost all theway through. Open it like abutterfly and press down gently toflatten and make it more even. Filleach centre with some of the kaleand feta mixture and place eachstuffed chicken breast onto 4 largepieces of parchment or foil.

5 Fold parchment paper over and foldup edges to form a seal. Place onlarge baking sheet and roast in 220°Coven for 20 minutes or until chicken isno longer pink. Let stand 2 minutesbefore serving.

Tip: Kale has firm, tough ribs orstems, so be sure to remove thembefore chopping the tender leaves forthis recipe.

Serves4

12 city food news

Community Cookery

Big DigWeekA celebration of thebeginning of thegrowing season

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16th-22nd March 2013

pull out

& keep

Saturday 16th March Coldean Community Allotment,BN1 9GR

12am until 4pmPlanting broad beans and sowing flowers.

Dyke Road Park CommunityVegetable Garden, BN3 6EH

12pm until 4pmSeedling swap & sale, seedlingplanting, garden activities for kids.

Fork & Dig It, Stanmer Organics,Stanmer Park, BN1 9PZ

11am until 4pmBuilding a compost heap, broad beanand salad sowing, pruning trees.

Harvest Demonstration Garden,Preston Park, BN1 6HN

12pm until 4pmInformation hub for the Big Dig week,general gardening & growing advice.

London Road StationPartnership Garden, BN1 4QS

11am until 2pmSowing salad vegetables, preparingbeds, mulching and composting.

North Laine Community Allotment,Stanmer Park, BN1 9SE

12pm until 4pmClearing and laying paths, preparingbeds for planting, tending soft fruit beds.

North Portslade CommunityAllotment, BN41 2YX

12pm until 2pmHarvesting rhubarb, sowing lettuces,plant seedlings and take them home too.

One Brighton Community Garden,New England Quarter, BN1 4GQ

11am until 3pmLaunch day with community chef cookingand producing potato based recipes.

Phoenix Community CentreGarden, Near St Peters Church,BN2 9ND

1pm until 4pmSalad sowing and composting.

Saunders Park Eco Garden,Lewes Road, BN2 4AY

1pm until 3pmGardening session. Meet the newranger and plan the garden for the yearahead. Enjoy refreshments.

St Nicholas Green SpacesAssociation, Dyke Road, BN1 3JN

10.30am until 1pmPreparing seed beds and planting wild flowers.

Stanmer Community GardenGroup, Stanmer Park, BN1 9SE

11am until 4pmSeed and wild flower sowing. Tea,biscuits and produce for sale.

Wish Park Vegetable Garden,Hove, BN3 4LG

10.00am until 12.30pmActivities for kids including seedplanting and pond watch.

Sunday 17th MarchBevendean Community Garden,BN2 4TR

1pm until 4pmPlanting early potatoes and broadbeans. Veggie lunch.

Brighton and Hove OrganicGardening Group, WealdAllotments, Hove, BN3 7JN

11am until 3pmSow your own organic seeds and takesome home too.

Plot 22, Weald AHove, BN3 7JN

Arrive at 11am (fam Seed sowing, potato preparing wildlife ar fire. Advance bookin [email protected].

Monday 18t One Brighton Co New England Qu

1pm until 5pmPotato planting activ

Tuesday 19 Fork & Dig It, St Stanmer Park, B

10am until 2pmBuilding a compost and salad sowing, p

London Road SPartnership Ga

2pm until 5pmSowing salad veget beds, mulching and

Moulsecoomb F by Moulsecoom BN2 4GP

Arrive at 10am for a garden then sowing planting out seedlin 12.30.

Go to www.bigdig.org.uk for more details about need new volunteers to get going for the coming

to drop in, register in advance, or give us a

Big Dig W 22nd Ma

Many of these workdays

take place regularly

throughout the year so if

you can’t get involved

this week, why not join in

a volunteer workday

some other time?

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9th March tanmer Organics,

BN1 9PZ

heap, broad bean pruning trees.

Station rden, BN1 4QS

ables, preparing

composting.

Forest Garden, mb Station, a tour of the g seeds and ngs. Lunch at


10am until 3.30pmSeed and wild flower sowing.

Wish Park Vegetable Garden,Hove, BN3 4LG

From 4pmSowing and planting.

Wednesday 20thMarchHarvest Demonstration Garden,Preston Park, BN1 6HN

10am until 1pmSeed sowing and transplanting.

Thursday 21st MarchBevendean Community Garden,BN2 4TR

9.30am until 1pmPlanting early potatoes and broad beans.

Brighton Permaculture TrustPlot, Stanmer Organics,Stanmer Park, BN1 9PZ

11am until 2.30pmPlanting trees and perennials in the forest garden.

The Carers Garden, Craven ValeAllotments, BN2 5DD

10am until 2pmTherapeutic growing activities. Advancebooking required, [email protected].

Hanover VEG, Southover Street,BN2 9UD

12pm until 5pmComposting and seed sowing.

Phoenix Community CentreGarden, Near St Peters Church,BN2 9ND

1pm until 3pmSalad sowing and composting.

Plot 22, Weald Allotments,Hove, BN3 7JN

Arrive at 11am (session for women)Seed sowing, potato planting,preparing wildlife area, lunch round thefire. Advance booking required [email protected].

St Nicholas Green SpacesAssociation, Dyke Road, BN1 3JN

10 am until 12.30pmPreparing seed beds and planting wildflowers.

‘The Greenhouse’ CommunityGarden at Emmaus, Portslade,BN41 2PA

11am until 3pmBuilding vertical salad gardens with oldpallets.

Friday 22nd MarchFork & Dig It, Stanmer Organics,Stanmer Park, BN1 9PZ

10am until 2pmBuilding a compost heap, broad beanand salad sowing, pruning trees.

The Plant Plot, Stanmer Organics,Stanmer Park, BN1 9PZ

10am until 4pmPreparing beds, planting seeds andseedlings including ‘Brighton’ lettuces.

Plot 22, Weald Allotments,Hove, BN3 7JN

Arrive at 11am (session for adults)Seed sowing, potato planting,preparing wildlife area, lunch round thefire. Advance booking required [email protected].


10am until 3.30pmSeed and wild flower sowing.

Village Fruits, StanmerOrganics, BN1 9PZ

10am until 4pmPreparing soft fruits beds and learningabout fruit cultivation.

t each garden, locations and directions. Gardens g season so why not try it out? You are welcome call for advice on which one is best for you.

Week 16th- rch 2013

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Nevill Avenue

Goldstone Cresecent

Church Rd Locks Hill

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Egmont Road

King’s Road

Lewes Road

Hangleton Link Road A293

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Wilson Avenue

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Portland Road

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#bigdiguk@harvestbh

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[email protected]

01273 431700

Join us for the second ever Fish Festival,which is part of the spring Food Festival.It has a strong focus on sustainabilitythis year and there will be food stalls,chef demos and talks from localfishermen and businesses. The Food Partnership will be there

with some tasters and cookery tips, aswell as asking the public to sign up toour Sustainable Fish Campaign.Speak to the Catchbox team about

buying a share in the local catch andmeet Moshi Moshi’s suppliers.Activities and information all afternoon.www.brightonfoodfestival.com/brighton-fish-festival-2013

Sustainable Fish

a newway to buy locallycaught fish

MeetCatchbox,Eating locally caught fish is a great wayof making your diet more sustainable.It’s fresher, tastier, and in all but asmall percentage of cases, it’s caughtusing the most sustainable methods.‘Catchbox’, a new co-operative

scheme aimed at providing Brighton &Hove residents with fresh, seasonal fishdirect from fishermen, starts this spring.I met Jack Clarke, the Catchbox

Coordinator, to discuss his plans:

How does Catchbox work?Catchbox brings fishermen andmembers of the community together ina co-operative -our members pay inadvance for a share of a fisherman’scatch. Because you’re buying a share ofthe catch, you never know exactly whatyou’ll be getting but we can guaranteeit’ll be super-fresh, local and that theguys who caught it are paid a fair price.


We have a new section on ourwebsite which helps break downsome of the major fish issues. Itincludes a local directory of where tobuy fish and some simplesuggestions to help you pledge tochange your fish buying habits. www.bhfood.org.uk/local-food/sustainable-fish

Brighton Fish Festival 1st April, 12-6pm, Bartholomew Square

Freeentry

continued overleaf

18 city food news

How canpeople signup?The easiest way isto sign up onlineat www.catchbox.coop/signup. It islikely to cost around £5 for a kilo of fishplus a £10 sign up fee. You can choosehow many kilos you want and whetheryou want it weekly or fortnightly. Youcan have fillets or whole fish althoughfillets will cost slightly more because ofthe processing involved.

What is wrong with the waywe currently catch andconsume our fish?The UK relies far too heavily on eatingjust five species of seafood; cod,haddock, prawns, tuna and salmon.Our local seas have an amazing varietyof excellent seafood but the majority ofthis is exported to the continent. Another problem is that communities

have lost touch with their fishermen. Insome English coastal towns, you can godown to the harbour and buy fish directbut in most places this link hasdisappeared. Local fishermen who use small day

boats tend to fish in a responsiblemanner compared to the larger, long-distance trawlers. By joining Catchboxyou can support this way of fishing.

Why is getting your fish from Catchbox a moresustainable option?All our fishermen use static gear;things like hand-lines, pots and

trammel nets. These cause verylittle damage to the seabed andresult in far less by-catch. It’s abit like buying organic- you’re

supporting a method of production thatyou agree with.

What do you hope Catchboxwill achieve?Hopefully, it will reward fishermen forcatching our fish in a responsible way.It will bring our members closer as acommunity, introduce them to theamazing and delicious array of localseafood on offer and educate them inboth preparing and cooking it. We wantto be the first of many community-supported fisheries across the nation. Interview by Tom Williams, FoodPartnership intern

Landmark victory asdiscards are banned The European parliament voted inFebruary to ban the wasteful practiceof throwing away healthy fish at seain a victory to campaigners. The voteon the European Common FisheriesPolicy was overwhelmingly in favourof a change that will see a move tomore eco-friendly practices. Fish arecurrently discarded at sea whenboats exceed their fishing quota orcatch species for which they have

no quota.

What’s not to like about oily fish? It’stasty, easy to prepare, a good source ofprotein and provides us with nutrientssuch as vitamins A and D, important forhealthy bones and skin, and helps wardoff infections.

Benefits of omega-3sMore widely known is the link with hearthealth and long chain omega-3 fats thatonly oily fish contain. Although we canfind omega-3 in nuts, seeds and flaxseeds, these differ from those found inoily fish. It is thought that omega-3 hasseveral benefits including helpingprevent blood from clotting, maintaininga regular heart rhythm and helping tolower triglyceride (unhealthy) fat levels.

Current recommendationsCurrent recommendations state weshould eat two portions of fish a weekmaking sure one is oily. This providesaround 3g of omega-3 fatty acids perweek. The only exception is if you’ve

ever had a heart attack, in which casethe national recommendations are toconsume at least 7g of omega-3 fattyacids, equivalent to two to threeportions of oily fish per week.We encourage people to choose a

sustainable option – oily fish that are notunder threat at the moment and availablelocally include herring and sardines.

How can I enjoy fish from asustainable source?If you’re buying fish in asupermarket, look out for the blue Marine StewardshipCouncil logo. If you’re buying from a

local fish monger andyou want to buy local,ask about the method of catch.More information can be found on our

website to help you make an informedchoice, www.bhfood.org.uk/local-food/sustainable-fish

How eating oily fish canbenefit you

Sustainable fishsuggestions

ShellfishCrabsWhelksCocklesMussels & Clams

Oily FishSalmon (MSC certified), Mackerel (MSC certified)HerringSardinesYellow fin or albacoreTuna (pole and line caught)Sprats

White fishPoutingGurnardPollockColeyRed & Grey mulletDab & Sole


Sustainable Fish

By Rachel Hollingdale, Health Promotion Dietitian

Four city orchards take rootOver the winter four community orchards have been planted in Brighton with fundingfrom the Food Partnership and expert support from Brighton Permaculture Trust. They’ll provide fruit for local people for decades to come and change the

landscape of our city indefinitely.

The BevyOn a cold but sunny Sunday in January,30 volunteers made a start onBrighton’s first ever edible pub garden.The Bevy is a new community-runpub/cafe offering a much neededwatering hole and community space inMoulsecoomb. The garden which isnow planted with 4 rareapple treesand 2plumtreeswillproducesome ofthe foodfor thepub. Thenext big taskis to terrace one of theovergrown steep slopes to startgrowing vegetables.The Bevy are selling shares in the

pub from £10 and you can support theproject by sponsoring the fruit trees.Fancy becoming a pub owner? Now’syour chance www.thebevy.co.uk

Racehill OrchardAfter consultation with local residents,permission to plant a new communityorchard on land next to Wilson Avenue and Swanborough Drive got thego ahead. On Saturday 26th January, 50

volunteers broke ground to plant 5 fruittrees in celebration of the start of thisnew project. The orchard has beenmostly planted with apples as these arethe most reliable croppers, but someplums, pears and more unusual fruitmay also be added in later years. Thefruit varieties selected grow wellunder organic conditions, with fruitripening from July through November-some eaters, some cookers and avariety of flavours. The orchard, whichwill continue to be planted over thecoming winters, will yieldfruit for 100 years or more.A group of localresidents aremanaging theproject and willbe organisingseasonalactivity days.

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Preston Park mini orchardOn another bitterly cold day in Februaryan orchard was planted at theDemonstration Garden at Preston Park. The Permaculture Trust along with

Harvest ran a great workshop on ‘Howto plant fruit trees’ with 15 peopletaking part. The theory session wasfollowed by the actual planting of thetrees. Everyone’s enthusiasm

contributed to making it wellworth while, and the result isthat we now have 8 young fruittrees, including a selection oflocal Sussex varieties. Weplanted four stand-alone trees,including twoapples and two

plums, as well asfour appleand peartreestrainedascordons,which is agreat wayof growingfruit trees in asmall space. TheDemo garden is always open to visitorsand welcomes new volunteers.

Harvest

The KeepThirty children from MoulsecoombPrimary School and Brighton andAldridge Community Academy planted12 heritage apple trees this winter atThe Keep, the new historical archivebuildings for the city.The kids, along with Brighton

Permaculture Trust, dug the frozenground in sub-zero temperatures. The idea first came to local

parish priest, FatherJohn, who had aEureka momentwhilst eating apork and applepie; herememberedWoolards Field, thelocation of the neworchard, having fruittrees on it sixty yearsago. He said: “This orchard willprimarily bring something beautiful tothe community. In some ways it willspeak of the “rootedness” of ourcommunity. People often think ofMoulsecoomb as an inter-war & post-war development, but our communitygoes much deeper than that.”The fruit trees are right next to

Ashurst Road Children’s Playgroundand are there for everyone to enjoy. TheKeep opens in spring 2013.

For information on any of these projects, contact us on 01273 431700, or email [email protected]


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Harvest runs a series ofworkshops and trainingsthroughout the year from coregrowing skills to composting,foraging and wine-making.We have a new training menuwhich shows the range ofcourses on offer. We canorganise bespoke training at

community sites and offerspecialist training and supportfor community food projectssuch as fundraising,managing group dynamicsand First Aid.Visit our website for upcoming dates www.harvest-bh.org.uk/events

The Harvest Scrumping Project collectsunwanted fruit and turns it intodelicious fruit juices and chutneys. In2010 and 2011, the Scrumping Projectcollected 6 tonnes of fruit,from trees around the citythat would haveotherwise gone to waste.The fruit was used tomake juice at publicevents and it was alsoturned into bottled juicesand chutneys to raiseincome to keep theproject going. Most ofthese products weresold from outside a barnin Stanmer Park at weekends, wherethe fruit is pressed into juice aspassersby watch and taste.Brighton Permaculture Trust runs

the project and works with dozens of

volunteers each year to pick apples andpears, and more unusual fruits likecherry plums, mulberries and figs.Although the definition of scrumping is

‘stealing fruit, especiallyapples, from someoneelse’s trees’, they onlycollect fruit with theowner’s permission. In 2012, the weather

affected the harvest so theproject had to seek othersources of fruit. Theybought 3 tonnes of poorerquality fruit from a fruitfarm in Sussex, saving itfrom going to waste.

To become a volunteer scrumper, or ifyou’ve got a tree in your garden thatyou’d like to see scrumped, contactBrighton Permaculture Trust.www.brightonpermaculture.org.uk

Scrumping update

New spring training menu

What to donow in yourgarden or onyour plot• March, April and May are the busiesttimes in our gardening year. Whenplanning is out of the way, getstarted with sowing. If the weatheris not on your side don’t worry –late-sown seeds often catch up.

• Keep up with your weeding as ourtireless garden companions are fullof energy and can out-compete

what we’re trying to grow. • Make your own liquid fertiliser

from young nettle shoots by soakingthem in water. They arepacked with Nitrogen, which

encourages plant growth in earlyspring. Get them before they flower! • Plant a mini-wildflower meadow

and make your food growingarea more biodiverse –

having more wildlifevisiting your garden

will make it moresustainable and easier torun in the long term.• Build all yoursupporting structuressuch as wigwams andother frames and putthem in place beforeyour climbing fruitand veg start growing.

Spring Seedling SwapSunday 19 May, 11am-2pm,Preston Park, BrightonCome and swap or buy seedlingsfor your garden. There will bevegetables,herbs andmore forgrowingspaces of allsizes, plusfamily-friendlyactivities.Organised

by Harvestand BHOGG(part of the Brighton FestivalFringe). www.harvest-bh.org.uk

New workshop: working withvulnerable people at foodgrowing projectsSaturday 20th April, 10am-3.30pm,BMECP centre, BrightonCost: £5 including lunchThe workshop will discuss mentalhealth, physical disabilities andlearning difficulties and look at howfood growing projects can engage andsupport people with more complexneeds. It will include practical activities,a look at theoretical background, aswell as plenty of time for sharingknowledge and experiences. To sign up,contact [email protected] or call 01273 431700.


Harvest

Anna Schwarz, Community Cookery Worker talks to

Cookability graduates Cookability, our cookery leaderscourse, has been running since 2004.Since then, over 200 people havecompleted the course, including me.I really enjoyed being a student on

Cookability in 2006 and have beenteaching the course in various venuessince 2009.

Below are some short interviews withjust a tiny sample of people who havecompleted the course. We hope it givessome idea of how varied the people andprojects are that come in and out ofCookability – as well as how tasty therecipes are.

I run Trailer Trashed, ayoung people’svegetarian cookeryproject. I teachteenagers how to cookfor home and work.Some of the young people who havegained the practical skills come backto mentor new members.

Favourite recipe I really like the gougere with redpepper and tomato salad. When youmake it you get a good feeling ofaccomplishment.

Cookery tipToasted seedswith soy sauceare good tosprinkle onmost dishes.

I have been running a“Gourmet Cakes forCharity” service wherepeople order cakesfrom me. The proceedshelp me fundraise forPalestine.

Favourite recipe The Orange and Almond cake… a bighit, especially when people are toldthere is no white flour in it!

Cookery tipMy friend recently showed me how toseparate eggs by using a bottle to suckthe yolk up. Search for it on You Tube.

Carly Amira

24 city food news

Cookability Special

I am currently runningHove Luncheon Club atthe YMCA – I cook a 3course lunch everyTuesday usingFareshare food, helpedby several volunteers. It provides aweekly lifeline for people in the WestHove community.

Favourite recipeThere are hundreds – I use them allthe time – the smoked haddock fishsoup recipe is probably my favouritefish recipe of all time.

Cookery tipWhen you’re frying onion and garlicsoften the onion first, then add thegarlic to stop the garlic from tasting bitter.

I teach a Life Skills Programme torough sleepers and people withmental health issues. One of theelements of the course isteaching cookery and nutrition. Imake basic, healthy meals whichare easy to cook and good valuefor money.

Favourite recipe Tricky as I like loads.... I make thecarrot cake a lot. I love the

Bangladeshi Fish curry andAnnabelle’s Spinach pie which I tart

up with garlic and chilli.

Cookery tipWhen slicing a pepper; slice theend off, chop down the length ofthe pepper avoiding the seeds,repeat two or three times. Thepepper will be sliced and theseeds will still be in place.

I have been involvedmostly with olderpeople’s cookerygroups. I run a lunchclub for older menonce a month atEbenezer Church – we get together,cook and eat!

Favourite recipeLemon Drizzle Cake as it’s so sunnyand zesty and I have a lovely memorywatching a guy bake it who had nevermade a cake before.

Cookery TipYou can freeze fresh chillies and rootginger. Don’t try to defrost the gingeras it goes all ‘tthhhp’ and loses itstexture. Bung it straight in a hot dishand it’ll be fine.

Shelley

Caroline Gina


In October 2012, Sandy Humby startedour healthy lifestyle programme,Shape Up. Vicky Veevers, Community Nutritionist

talks to Sandy about her experience.

How did the Shape Upprogramme in Woodingdeanbenefit you? The Shape Up programme made mefocus on the fact that I’d piled on thepounds, but there was a solutionstaring me in the face. Even better itwas right on my doorstep and free!

What are the biggest changesyou have made sinceattending Shape Up? I now think more about the choicesI make, be it eating-wise orexercise/activities. I make aconcerted effort to be moreactive, less sedentary, and towatch what I eat and drink. Ialso try and make sure I getsome exercise every day.

What did you mostenjoy about theprogramme?I enjoyed meeting upwith friends (andmaking new friends)once a week andfound theinformation andtools we were

given to achieve our goals very useful. Ialso really enjoyed doing the exerciseclass once a week.

Have you noticed any healthimprovements? I’ve noticed that I feel a lot fitter since Istarted the programme. I’m less out ofbreath when exercising and generallyfeel a lot more energetic.

How have you stayed on tracksince completing theprogramme?Since completing the programme, I’vecontinued to exercise and record what I eat and drink and I weigh myself oncea week.

Sandy successfully lost over a stoneduring the programme plus a fewinches off her waist. Not only arethere numerous personal benefits

to weight loss, as Sandy hasmentioned, there are also many

health benefits. If over weight,losing just 10% of your currentbody weight reducescholesterol, blood pressure

and blood sugar levels –which in turn reduces yourrisk of heart disease, strokeand diabetes.

Shape Up Success for Sandy

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Join a Shape Up programme near you.Contact 01273 431703 [email protected]

Reviews

Salt is needed in the body to controlblood pressure and helps muscles andnerves work properly. But consumingtoo much salt can raise blood pressureand increase the risk of heart diseaseand stroke. Adults should consume no more than

6g of salt (2.4g sodium or 1tsp) per dayand children even less , but in the UKwe are currently exceeding thisrecommendation. Everyone can benefitfrom eating less salt, even those withnormal blood pressure.Most salt we consume in the UK

(around 75%) comes from processedfoods, so before we have even addedany salt in cooking the saltcontent of a meal can alreadybe high. Most people areaware that products likecrisps and ready meals arehigh in salt but it is alsoimportant to be aware ofhidden salt in othereveryday foods such asbread and breakfastcereals. Reading and

comparing food labels isa helpful way to chooselower salt products. By

law to be ‘low salt’ a product mustcontain less than 0.3g of salt per 100g.It is easiest to reduce your salt intake

gradually and you will find your tastebuds soon adjust. It doesn’t mean foodhas to become tasteless.

• Avoid adding salt at the table• Use herbs, spices, lemonjuice, vinegar or mustard toflavour food (see pg 10 forsome ideas)• Go for reduced saltvarieties of foods• Prepare your own mealsrather than relying onprocessed foods • Rock salt and sea saltare the same as table saltand should also be kept toa minimum

Health biteRecommendations for salt intake: Age Maximum intake per day1-3 years 2g4-6 years 3g7-10 years 5g11 and over 6g

Community Nutrition


Food Buying Groups WorkshopMon 4th March, 6-9pmwww.bhfood.org.uk/events

Big Dig Week, Various CommunityGardens & Allotments, Brighton & HoveSat 16th to Friday 22nd Marchwww.harvest-bh.org.uk/events

A Seasonal Feast with Music, Art andDance, Hanover Community CentreSun 17th March, time tbcwww.facebook.com/SourcepanCollective

Community Café Training SessionMon 18th March, 1-5pmwww.bhfood.org.uk/events

Brighton & Hove Food & Drink FestivalFri 29th March to Sun 7th Aprilwww.brightonfoodfestival.com/events.html

Urban foragingSun 27th April, 10am-1pmwww.harvest-bh.org.uk/events

CoursesCore Growing SkillsSat 16th March, 10am-2pmwww.harvest-bh.org.uk/events

Clearing your PlotSat 23rd March, 10am-12pm www.harvest-bh.org.uk/events

Community Compost WorkshopSat 23rd March, 10am-12pmwww.harvest-bh.org.uk/events

Practical Permaculture GardeningSat 6th & Sun 7th April, 10am-5pmwww.brightonpermaculture.org.uk

Grow & Tell, Weald AllotmentsSun 21st April, 11am-1.30pmwww.harvest-bh.org.uk/events

Mushroom CultivationSat 20th & Sun 21st April, 9am-5.30pmwww.brightonpermaculture.org.uk

Cookability Wed 23rd April – Tues 2nd July (east)and Thurs 24th April – Wed 3rd July(west)www.bhfood.org.uk/events

Clay Oven buildingSun 28th April, 5th May & 12th Maywww.bevendeancommunitygarden.blogspot.co.uk

Events Spring 2013

MarketsChurchill Square Farmers Market,every Wednesday, 10am-4pm.George Street Farmers Market, every4th Wednesday, 10am-3pm.Farm Market, 73 North Road, everySaturday, 9am-3pm.

Mermaid Market, Brighton MarinaSquare, every Saturday & Sunday,11am-4pm.Upper Gardner Street Market, everySaturday, 7am-5pm.

City Food News Spring 2013

Documents

Transcript of City Food News Spring 2013