River Cottage - Spring

margaretclare

If I was young, fit and active, I'd certainly grow veg. And if I had someone who could come in and keep an eye when we go away, I'd love to try keeping chickens. I've been offered 'rescued' battery hens more times than I can count, but as Hugh emphasised last evening, keeping any live creature is a huge responsibility. You can't shove them into the kennels or cattery when you go away on holiday!

We have thoroughly 'bought' the idea of organic chicken only. DH used to buy packs of chicken pieces in the supermarket but I've refused to eat any chicken unless I know that it's organic/free range.

Here's Hugh's next idea: http://www.chickenout.tv/major-announcement2.html

I have no Tesco shares, but DH has been a committed Tesco shopper. I've just persuaded him to 'vote with his wallet' and avoid Tesco in future.

Debt_Free_Chick

Look you lot - I love Hugh more than any of you so nah, nah, nah-nah-nah

Here you go ....


:happyhear :happyhear I LOVE HUGH :happyhear :happyhear

queen_of_string

boycott Mr T , but but but what about me points

Stompa

Oh No, Hugh Fearnley-Wittering-T-w-a-t is back.

Kadeeae

I did watch it, and was wondering about what he said concerning councils having give land if 6 (was it?) or more people asked for it to grow food on. Did I hear that correctly and is it just where they have their land for the show or all of England?

More of a Jamie girl myself but HFW is a close second

Debt_Free_Chick

Kadeeae wrote: »

I did watch it, and was wondering about what he said concerning councils having give land if 6 (was it?) or more people asked for it to grow food on. Did I hear that correctly and is it just where they have their land for the show or all of England?

More of a Jamie girl myself but HFW is a close second

A local council must formally consider a request to provide allotments, if six or more local electors write and request one. If the council is then of the opinion that there is sufficient demand, it is bound to provide them (acutally, to provide allotment gardens, but the technical difference doesn't matter here).

So long as the gardens are reasonably accessible, they don't need to be within the locality. So they could be a bus-ride away, for example.

If necessary, the council can appropriate, rent or compulsarily purchase the land to provide the allotments.

Interestingly, the Chairman of our local Parish Council lives in a house built on our former parish allotmets - I regularly remind him that we'll be digging his garden up if there's sufficient demand to provide allotments in the Parish

lbt_2

I would love to know if any of the old River Cottage series are being shown on any of the cable channels. This week was the first one I have seen - and I loved it!!

If anyone comes across any repeats (I have sky), could they please let me know?

This is my first year of growing fruit, veg and herbs (thanks to Jamie at Home and my little girl bringing plants home from school!), and I am now addicted to anything kitchen gardeny.

Are there any other kitchen garden type programmes around?

Also, I must share news of the bargain I got on ebay. I bought over 50 magazines (Kitchen Garden and Grow Your Own) for £6!!! No postage because I collected (20 mins from home) The person I bought them from was really lovely, and has her own allotment - she is young too (in her mid thirties, I would say) and we plan to keep in touch.

My friends think I am a bit barmy, but I keep telling them that loads of young people are taking it up now.

pinksleepybear

Well, I went up to the Bristol site today to see how they're getting on. It's smaller than it looks on telly. I met Bob and Mandy, who are the parents of the girl who only eats chips. It's very exciting that it's so local - only a couple of hundred yards from my allotment. I'll be watching again this week.

EmptyPurse

pinksleepybear wrote: »

The Bristol 'smallholding' they were building is just round the back of my allotment. I didn't know they were there, but I'm going to have a nose tonight. I would be seriously worried for any animals they keep - it's a bad neighbourhood.

Did you have a nose? How's it getting on? I saw the first episode of 'Spring' in the week and absolutely loved it. It was great and really inspired me.

Sweet_Pea_2

I love Hugh. His place in Dorset looks lovely, and my little fantasy for when I win the lottery is a smallholding, don't think this would be Mr Peas cup of tea though.

I must admit, when he mentioned the Bristol people having animals, I was a bit worried, unless any of them live in the houses you can see in the background then I wouldn't have thought it was too safe, if any local hooligans get a whiff of where it is, the poor animals would be defenceless.
This is one thing that has always intrigued me about allotments as well. There are quite a lot of allotments about locally which look very well tended, but it must be heartbreaking to go to your allotment and find someone has helped themselves or done damage.

Im really glad that Hugh challenged Delias horrible pie and glad that his mums pie won, but amazed that Delias pie got as many votes as it did. I just cant see the point of Delias latest series. In my opinion you either buy it ready made, or you make it from scratch. I just dont get the cheating thing at all. And I dont buy that people are scared to cook either, so may start off by cheating and then perhaps decide to try and make something from scratch. Surely no-one is that thick? Its easy enough to get hold of a basic cookbook and have a go? Everyone has to start somewhere.

I think the butchery thing is a great idea, that is the one thing that puts me off going into the butchers - I dont know what to ask for and dont want to look an idiot. I shall be watching that with interest, and I hope he does show some other cuts of meat as well as lamb. Im glad he showed the offal recipes, I like offal and would like to have a go at cooking it, I was only discussing a stuffed heart recipe with a colleague the other day. Cant see it going down well with Mr Pea and the smaller peas though!

I would love a kitchen garden like Jamies and a poly tunnel like Hugh's but have to make do with a plastic greenhouse and a smallish garden instead (until the lottery win) but Mr Pea has planted out my runner beans,peas and tomatoes today so Im doing my bit.