In my experience, people who garden tend to be optimistic individuals. I had always put this down to the fact that gardening is, essentially, about looking forward. Each seed we sow is an investment in the future, a symbol of hope to be realised if and when that seed grows into a beautiful, healthy plant. Gardening also of course provides us with physical exercise, but it dictates the pace. It […]
So, finally, at 11pm last night the UK officially left the European Union. Half of this bitterly divided country rejoiced at this seminal moment whilst the rest of us looked on, bewildered by this celebration of what we see as an act of national self-harm. At least Big Ben failed to “bong”. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s crowdfunding effort failed to deliver this element of the celebration (how is it, incidentally […]
This recipe for Persian-style bean and noodle soup is the latest in a monthly series of recipes I have created in association with Suma Wholefoods. In these recipes, I use products from Suma’s extensive range of organic and ethically sourced products, and the recipes appear both here on my blog and on the Suma website. The recipe is my vegan interpretation of a dish called ash reshteh, a winter staple […]
At last, some good news: last week the governments comprising the European Union (EU) voted to ban the agrochemical thiacloprid, which is produced and marketed by the global chemical company Bayer. Thiacloprid is one of a group of neonicotinoid pesticides, all of which are strongly linked to the collapse in worldwide bee populations. In reaching its decision the EU stated that it was also concerned that thiacloprid had now found […]
Happy new year! More people than ever have chosen to give Veganuary a try this year. Others, who perhaps aren’t quite ready to take that step, will at least have resolved to reduce their meat intake. It’s encouraging to see so many people willing to challenge and change their food consumption habits, whether it be for health, environmental or ethical reasons, or all three. Sadly, world governments continue to show […]
This recipe for potato, chive and Cheddar croquettes with apple chutney is the latest in a monthly series of recipes I have created in association with Suma Wholefoods. In these recipes, I use products from Suma’s extensive range of organic and ethically sourced products, and the recipes appear both here on my blog and on the Suma website. These croquettes are utterly delicious, and are matched perfectly by the spicy […]
Monsanto, the US multinational chemical corporation once voted “the most evil corporation in the world” no longer exists, as a result of its acquisition by the German chemical giant Bayer. However, Monsanto’s legacy lives on. One of the corporations most successful products is glyphosate, a key component in weedkillers. It was described by the World Health Organisation in 2015 as “probably carcinogenic to human beings”. Since then, a growing number […]
This recipe for vegan stuffed butternut squash with cranberry sauce is the latest in a monthly series of recipes I have created in association with Suma Wholefoods. In these recipes, I use products from Suma’s extensive range of organic and ethically sourced products, and the recipes appear both here on my blog and on the Suma website. This gluten-free, vegan dish would be a deliciously tasty alternative Christmas dinner. It […]
There is no longer any doubt that neonicotinoid based pesticides are playing a significant role in the catastrophic collapse in world bee populations. Neonicotinoids, introduced in the 1990s, were designed to kill insect pests, but the reality is that they do not discriminate between pests and beneficial insects. As bees are larger than most insects, neonicotinoids don’t usually kill them outright, but studies have shown that they cause reduced sperm […]
During the 1970s and 1980s, Costa Rica was being cynically exploited by multinational burger companies. These companies, most prominently Burger King and Wendy’s, incentivised native farmers to burn down rainforest in order to create grazing land for beef cattle destined to end up in fast food burgers. Similar exploitative forces are continuously at play elsewhere across the world, most recently in the Brazilian rainforest, as the rapacious beef industry continues […]