Your green promises:

Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Oliver Marcus, London >> Stop wasting resources, Ness Backs, New York >> Consume more plant-based foods, Chana Tzi, L.A., Ca., USA >> Start growing my own herbs and vegetables, Holly Weisfeld, Herts >> Cycle one a day if not more, Jamie Cooper, Harts >> Visit a lot of eco-sites, Maria Kamutzki, Berlin >> I won't litter, Joel Austin, Pinner >> Be more eco friendly, Connor Buchalter, Hatch End >> Re-use water bottles so less waste, David, Middx >> I won't waste water anymore, Ben Green, Hach End >> Help my dad recycle everyday, Phoebe Decker, Northwood >> Turn electrical things off when I have finished using them, Talia Austin, Pinner >> Not to waste food, Joshua Roson, Rickmansworth >> Eat fairtrade chocolate, Josie Sacks, Pinner >> Bike/walk to places not to far away, Zoe Buchalter, Hatch End >> Recycle plastic bags when I go shopping, Sophie Scholl, Moor Park >> Take and re-use our own plastic bags when we go shopping, Cass Family, Harrow >> Not waste paper, Jed Gaffin, Northwood >> Walk to school more, Lea Abrahams, Pinner >> To be more careful with water, Max Abrahams, Pinner >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Ellie Roston, Rickmansworth >> Try and ride my bike as much as I can, Zack Bluestone, Stanmore >> Walk to from school everyday, Meiron Avidan, Stanmore >> Use tap water instead of bottled, Rianna Roston, Earth >> Turn everything off, not leave it on standby, Lewis Decker, Northwood >> Put my rubbish in the bin, Aron Bhalla, Harrow >> I will put my rubbish in the bin, Seth Bhalla, Harrow >> I will not watch the same thing as my brother on a different TV, Ilana Braham, Northwood >> Our family will walk to places if it is less than 2miles, the Garland family, Pinner >> Don't use sandwich bags for packed lunch, David Braham, Northwood >> Switch off lights when I am not using them, Matthew Rodin, London >> To walk and get the train more, Steph Leigh, Watford >> Not to litter and put rubbish in the bin, Jacob Lauder, Harrow >> Help put out the recycling more, Rachel Bard, Hertfordshire >> To put my cans in a recycle bin, Hannah Hyman, Borehamwood, Herts >> Walk to the bus stop, Matti Brooks, Borehamwood >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Gemma Black 5B, Hertfordshire >> I pledge to water my plants with a watering can and not waste water, Gemma Black 5B, Hertfordshire >> Make more things e.g sculptures instead of just putting them in the bin, Minnie Diamond, Bushey >> I shall turn off lights and T.V. when not needed on, Harrry Rubin, Hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Harry Rubin 5 Beech, Herts, London >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Katie Moss, Radlett >> Only flush the chain when I need to, Hannah Hyman, Borehamwood, Herts >> Cycle one a day if not more, Jamie Cooper, Harts >> Ride on my bike at least once a day, Sophie Pollock, Borehamwood, Herts >> Grow my own fruit and vegetables in the garden, Isabelle Copeland, Bushey >> Don't leave lights on, Rebecca A, Herts >> Use energy efficent light bulbs!, Dov Colman, Borhamwood >> Not use the car for short journeys, Josh Zucker, Hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Jake Murray, Borehamwood >> To not leave the shower running!, Lauren Seres, Herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Tyler Freedman, Bushey >> Do more recycling and help my mum sort out the waste, Maddie Freedman, Bushey >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Joseph White, Radlett, Herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Zoe Klein, Hertfordshire >> turn off the plugs in my bedroom, Oliver Rothstein, Adlenham, herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Nina Freedman, Borehamwood >> Take showers instead of baths, Harry Singler, Bushey >> Recycle my household waste, Harry Black, Bushey >> Recycle my household waste, Mrs Myers, Borehamwood >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Daniel Simmons, Radlett >> Not to turn lights on if it is not neeeded, Etienne Dean, Borehamwood >> Not use the car for short journeys, Leah Gorb, Bushey >> Use bits of junk around the house to make something & to not throw it in the bin, Sophie Pollock >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Natalie Maurer, Hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Rebecca Selt, Radlett >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Avital Cohen, Borehamwood >> Recycle my household waste, Max Bean, Bushey >> Start growing my own herbs and vegetable, Talia N, Hertfordshire >> Recycle my household waste, Leanne Rosner, Radlett >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Leanne Rosner, Radlett >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Kezia Blakeley, Hertfordshire >> Don't buy herbs if you can grow them, Emily Sterman, Hertfordshire >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Joshua Silver, Radlett >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Ella Kosmin, St Albans >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Ella Green, Borehamwood >> Replace two light bulbs in my house with energy efficient light bulbs, Jacqueline Sefton, Bushey >> Take showers instead of baths, Sophie Hyman, Borehamwood, Herts >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Joshua, Herts >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Benjamin Isaac, Herts >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Abby Rosen, Elstree >> Replace two light bulbs in my house with energy efficient light bulbs, Amanda Finestone, Borehamwood >> Try to have a shower instead of a bath and will not sing in the shower for too long, Sadie, Hertfordshire >> Cycle at least once a day, Jamie Cooper, Borehamwood >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, holly, herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Michelle Hertz, Stanmore >> Start growing my own herbs and vegetable, nicola weisfeld, hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Jack Glazer, Bushey >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Jack Glazer, Bushey >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Holly Weisfeld, Hertfortshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Joshua Collins, Hertfordshire >> Eat less meat, Stephen Scott, London >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Hannah, London >> Continue to educate myself and others in ways of taking care of our earth, Raven Moon, Connecticut >> Try to live on less and take pleasure in the effort, Erich Connell, Greenville, NC >> I will be a vegertarian on a weekly basis, Lee-Ann, Tauyuan, Taiwan >> I promise to make sure all recyclable items go in the recycling and not in the bin, Lara Gordon, London >> I will try to keep recycling my clothes and not buy too many new ones, L.Bratter, North London >> I promise to recycle by altering my clothes, Anita Lancet, London >>

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Rachel Davies

A bit about me - as this is a food blog, I should say that until about 2 years ago I was the kind of cook who burnt Super Noodles, and could just about manage 3 minute filled egg pasta with pesto from a jar as a ‘good’ meal.

Then a year volunteering with VSO in Zambia changed all that. I was alone in a village in Southern Africa where the market sold dried fish, tomatoes and sweet potato leaves, and egg noodles were a 3 hour drive away. Something had to change, and that something was my ability to cook. So using whatever ingredients I could find, I started baking my own bread, and attempting all the dishes possible with the limited fresh ingredients. And I loved it!

Please sign up to this blog where I’ll share recipes and tips, and will have a look at what fruit and vegetables are in season and what great dishes you can make with them.

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Food Blog

Rachel Davies is a Jewish chef from North West London who has been writing her food blog for Big Green Jewish since March 2010. Rachel trained at Le Cordon Bleu and runs Rachel's Kitchen, offering catering for dinner parties and events, and teaching cookery in your home or in her kitchen. For more information please contact her at info@rachels-kitchen.com or the Rachel's Kitchen website, www.rachels-kitchen.com. Click here to subscribe to Rachel's blog.

Take a look at Rachel's recipe for Earl Grey Infused Chocolate Petit Pots with Orange Crème, as featured in the Jewish Chronicle.

July 2011

When I was much younger, my mum worked out a deal with my siblings and me. If we promised to eat the raw beetroot on our plate, and she meant every slice, with no leftovers, then were allowed, on that condition, to paint our faces with beetroot. What a joy!

And so it was that we learnt to enjoy beetroot – the taste and texture, but mainly how much fun it was to dye our faces, and probably arms, necks, hands and the surrounding kitchen. My mother, I presume, had by that point removed and hidden anything stainable in the house.

I’m remembering this as I look down at my pink tinged hands, because beetroot really is one strong dye! A nice bunch of deep purple beetroot came with my vegetable box the other day, and I was determined to do something different with it. Then a friend sent me the amazing website, www.gojee.com, and I was inspired. It’s an exciting way of connecting people looking for recipes with food bloggers, so after putting in the ingredients that you definitely do and don’t want to use, you a presented with recipe options, gorgeous photos, and a link to the food blog where you can find the full recipe. Nice.

So back to beetroot. One of the first recipes I found there was beetroot hummus, except it’s an American site and so it is called beet hummus. The blog, Not Without Salt, can be found here.

This hummus is such a gorgeous colour, and it tastes amazing. My variation on this lovely recipe is to roast a head of garlic with the beetroot until soft. Then I’ll squeeze the roasted garlic into the hummus to taste, and use any leftovers in a soup, or to make aioli. Mmm. I’m not that hot on raw garlic, but if you are, go ahead and enjoy!

I really would recommend this for taking with you on a picnic or brightening up a meal, and dunking anything you can into it. And any leftover beetroot can be used for face painting. Just check you’ve not got any social arrangements or important meetings anytime soon!

Beetroot Hummus - adapted from Not Without Salt

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 medium beetroots, cleaned, roasted, peeled, and cut into chunks (stick whole beetroots in oven at 190°C, and roast until a knife inserts easily, about 1.5 hours)

2 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 head garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Roast the whole, cleaned beetroots until a knife inserts easily into them, about 1.5 hours.

While the beetroot is roasting, cut the top third off the garlic and drizzle with half a tablespooon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, wrap in tin foil and roast for 40 minutes.

Peel the beetroot once cool enough to handle and cut into chunks (you might want to wear disposable gloves for this bit).

Take the garlic out of the foil and squeeze out the soft cloves.

Process all the ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth, and taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve with a hefty drizzle of olive oil.

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