-min.jpg)
Eating 30 plants a week may sound like a tall task – particularly when it’s sometimes a struggle to achieve 5-a-day – but, with the help of leading chef, food writer and campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, that is all about to change.
His latest book, How to Eat 30 Plants a Week - not only explains how to achieve that magic number, but also includes 100 easy recipes to make it happen. Hugh is currently preparing for an event in Leeds restaurant Kino on Wednesday 4 September. During the evening, he’ll be discussing his passion for helping people to eat more healthily and sustainably while diners are served a six-course menu which proves how delicious the resulting dishes can be.
Why are you keen to champion 30 plants a week?
Hugh: Prof. Tim Spector, who kindly wrote the introduction to my new book, first sparked my interest. He and other nutritionists have picked up on the fact that recent scientific research indicates that good health outcomes aren’t simply the result of which diet you follow as previously thought, but how many plants you eat. The optimum amount came out at 30 per week. The reason eating that many is so important is because different varieties help nurture our gut microbiome which, in turn, helps us sleep better, improves our energy levels and benefits our mood.
Thirty sounds like a lot! How can people achieve it each week?
Hugh: The good news is that ‘plants’ doesn’t just mean fruit and vegetables. The term also includes pulses (e.g., chickpeas, beans and lentils), nuts and seeds, spices, tea, coffee and even oils. Sometimes a simple change can add to your count such as using rapeseed oil for one dish and coconut oil for the next – or sprinkling seeds on top of your salads and making nuts your snack of choice. What I try to encourage people to do in my book is to try different types of fruit and vegetables rather than always reaching for the same ones which, let’s face it, is something we all do. I’ve included some lists people can tick so they can easily keep countof how many different ones they’re eating. I think most people will be surprised at how easy– and fun – it actually is.
Does that still leave room for seasonality?
Seasonality is another of my passions because, by eating seasonally, we also eat more sustainably, something which is becoming increasingly important as we all become more aware of environmental damage and climate change. I suggest getting about a third of your intake from the fruit and vegetables in season and then filling in the gaps with herbs, spices, nuts, seeds and pulses. It might sound complicated, but it’s much easier than you might think. After all, there are around 11,000 edible plants to choose from!
Are you encouraging everyone to become vegetarian?
I do think we all need to eat more plant-based meals but that doesn’t necessarily mean cutting out meat and fish entirely. I’m an omnivore myself and my book includes recipes for both. What I would do though is to encourage people to buy with care and, if they can, to stick to whatever has been sustainably farmed or harvested.
What can people expect during your event at Kino?
The menu is a brilliant showcase for everything I believe in, showing how my passions come together to create amazingly flavourful dishes. That means it includes plenty of plants, while also featuring sustainably produced meat and fish, as well as wild ingredients. Diners might be surprised to see grey squirrel on there, but it’s a very sustainable and healthy meat which we’ve been serving at River Cottage for many years now. I must say it’s been great working with Kino’s Head Chef, Josh Whitehead, because his beliefs align with mine – in fact, he used to watch the River Cottage series as a child. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how his team bring the dishes to life on the night, while I chat about my inspirations and my food journey so far.
Tickets for Dinner & Conversation with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall are available now HERE
If our chat with Hugh has whetted your appetite for getting into the kitchen, he's left us with his gorgeous Purple Shakshuka receipe from the new book:
Beetroot adds fibre and richness to a classic shakshuka, as well as turning it a fab purple colour. Itmakes a great breakfast or brunch, or you can serve it up with wholegrain bread or toast for a hearty supper to feed two.
Purple Shakshuka
Serves 2 heartily, or 4 lightly
Oil or fat for cooking
1 large or 2 medium-small red or brown onions, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely grated or chopped
1 small red chilli, or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp smoked paprika, plus an extra pinch
1 medium beetroot, scrubbed and coarsely grated (about 150g)
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced (optional)
400g tin peeled plum tomatoes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
400g tin kidney beans
1 small radicchio, roughly shredded
4 eggs
Sea salt and black pepper
To serve
50g herb leaves, such as parsley, chives, coriander, chervil or lovage, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
1–2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Dukka
Heat a little oil or fat in a medium frying pan, or a shallow, wide, flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Add the onion(s) and fry for 6–8 minutes until soft but not coloured, then add the garlic, chilli, cumin seeds and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
1. Add the beetroot, red pepper if using, and the tinned tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as they go in (and picking out any stalky ends or bits of skin). Cook for 8–10 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down, helping them to do so with the back of the spoon. Stir in the extra virgin olive oil, and a splash of water if the mixture looks at all dry.
2. Drain the beans, keeping a little of the liquid, then add them to the pan with the saved liquid. Stir in the radicchio and simmer gently for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender, well combined and saucy.
3. Using the back of a tablespoon, make 4 hollows in the mixture. Crack an egg into each hollow and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of smoked paprika. Turn the heat to low, put the lid on the pan and cook for 4–6 minutes until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dress the herbs with the lemon zest and juice, a pinch of salt, and the extra virgin olive oil.
5. Serve the shakshuka as soon as it is ready, with the dressed herbs, and dukka to sprinkle over.
Swaps
Use cannellini, flageolet or butter beans, chickpeas or tinned Puy, green or brown lentils instead of kidney beans.
You can also replace the radicchio with red chicory, Little Gem lettuce, or a large handful of seasonal greens, such as purple or green kale. If you haven’t got a beetroot, you can use a carrot or two instead.
Header image: Chef and Food campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. (Image: Matt Austin)
Extract taken from How to Eat 30 Plants a Week by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury, £25 Hardback) Photography © Lizzie Mayson
