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 I was in my early 20's, I was the kind of cook who burnt instant noodles, and could just about put together 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!

After training at Le Cordon Bleu, I set up Rachel's Kitchen in 2010, and I think that working with food is the best thing ever!

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.

January 2012 - the Honeymoon edition

The biggest joy of visiting a country, for me at least, is the food. On honeymoon!

Before our honeymoon in Sri Lanka, I’d watched Rick Stein bounding around, enthusiastically tasting Sri Lankan food with a big smile on his face, and I couldn’t wait to eat everything. Once there, the rich subtleties of the delicious food really blew me away.

After two weeks of indulging, eating, sleeping and sunbathing away our wedding stress, I wanted to learn the secrets of Sri Lankan cuisine. Then unexpectedly I got my chance.

Arriving at a guesthouse on a tea plantation near Nuwarya Eliya, we were ready for lunch. After hearing the extensive menu, it became clear that the chef wasn’t there. He’d gone to the town and wouldn’t be back for a few hours. And the manager had no idea how to cook our orders. What to do?

When my new husband offered me in the chef’s place, the manager looked relieved. And that’s how I found myself bustling around the kitchen while the hotel manager handed me utensils, ingredients, and freshly picked herbs from the garden. It was great. I was so happy to be back in the kitchen!

We were less pleased when we got the large bill for lunch on the final day. The ingredients had been cheap, and labour was, well, me. But in exchange for my ‘assistance’, the chef offered to teach me Sri Lankan cooking on our two remaining nights.

Sri Lankan curry, or Rice and Curry as the meal is referred to, always includes a balanced meal of lentil daal, a mild coconut curry, a hot red curry, a salad with onions, vegetables and lime juice, a tempered curry, plain rice and popadoms.

The flavours are simple, but delicately spiced and delicious.

The soup we made together on the second night showcases Sri Lankan flavours, with the lime, coconut and spices tasting tropical no matter where in the world you are.

I was surprised that in the land of coconuts, the chef used powdered coconut, whisked with some water, instead of fresh or canned coconut milk in both the soup and the curries. I have tracked some down from the supermarket in Chinatown, but you can also use a can of coconut milk, or fresh if you are lucky enough to have them!

Sri Lankan Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, sliced

Around 10 curry leaves

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 litres vegetable stock

125g red lentils, washed

Juice of 2 limes

4 tablespoons of powdered coconut

1-2 teaspoons sea salt crystals

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, and sauté the onion and carrot until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, and sauté for a few minutes. Then add the curry leaves and spices, and stir for a few more minutes, making sure not to burn the spices.

Then add the stock and lentils, bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils are soft, approximately 20-30 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.

Season with the lime juice, coconut powder whisked with a little water, salt and pepper. Simmer very gently, taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Notes:

Curry leaves add a distinctive flavour to soups and curries. They can be omitted, but will be missed!

Coconut powder and curry leaves can be found in Asian supermarkets. I get my powdered coconut and curry leaves from New Loon Moon, 9a Gerrard Street, London W1D 5PN.

Click on link below to view previous months

To read Rachel's earlier blogs, click here.

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

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