Blog articles from the Action section of The Big Idea

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Dorothy Hartley’s Food in England

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The post-Christmas period is one in which I used to enjoy reading the latest new cookery publications, but there have been very few of quality in recent years.  So, I was more than happy when Colin suggested I devote an entire blog to one of our enduring favourites – Dorothy Hartley’s Food in England.

Agriculture is by far the most important thing that human beings do – the thing we absolutely have to get right. So why won’t the powers-that-be take it seriously? By Colin Tudge

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Small farms and farmers are disappearing at an alarming rate – and yet they are vital. Colin Tudge suggests that a prime task for humanity (among a host of others) is to re-establish agriculture as the focus of all our endeavours and to raise the status of farmers   The only people who are truly treasured … Read more

Appetisers

Adding an appetiser course would be a great improvement to our British “meat and two veg” meal format.

Can organic farming feed the world?

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It’s too early to tell, says colin tudge. BUT we ought to give it our best shot On a recent Farming Today This Week on Radio 4 a Shropshire farmer who among other things grows wheat, declared that organic farming is “never going to feed the world”. And this view is clearly shared by many … Read more

Getting the British Pulse Racing Again

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It is exciting to see the revival of ancient pulses, which we were in danger of losing altogether. One strong factor that works in favour of a resurgence in popularity is the general trend towards eating less meat. There are certainly many recipes to choose from.

Webinar no. 2: The absolute importance of peas and beans

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Colin Tudge talks to JOSIAH MELDRUM and NICK SALTMARSH, co-founders of HODMEDODS, and arch developers and promoteRS of pulses. Pulses have long been key players in agriculture and the human diet and in almost all the world’s cuisines – fixing nitrogen, rich in protein, and the basis of some of the world’s most popular and … Read more

Farmer Starmer

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The Labour Leader has shown some encouraging interest in farming of late. But, says Colin Tudge, none of the mainstream parties in the UK takes agriculture seriously enough and none has an agricultural strategy that comes close to meeting our own and the world’s real needs  It was good to see Keir Starmer interviewed in … Read more

Eating for Pleasure

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As someone who lives to eat rather than the other way around, I am rather shocked by the rapid rise in serious eating disorders. Summer presents numerous opportunities for making a meal an occasion to remember so lets enjoy them!

Endangered Foods

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Many “endangered” foods are still being grown in people’s gardens, however the commercial sources have become extremely scarce.  The summer months provide an abundance of examples.

Hospitality

Barbequing is the one form of entertaining that seems to be growing in popularity rather than declining. Hospitality seems to come less naturally to us than the Greeks. But can you learn to be a good host?