Live webchat with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - Thursday 15th September 1.30 - 2.30 pm

[RachelMumsnet]

To celebrate the publication of his new book Cottage Veg Every Day and accompanying Channel 4 Series which starts on Thursday 20 October 20. Hugh is joining us this Thursday (15 September) between 1.30pm and 2.30pm for a live webchat. As well as being an award-winning cookery writer and broadcaster and founder of River Cottage, Hugh is also involved in a number of campaigns including Hugh's Fish Fight, Chicken Out and Landshare.

Join us on Thursday to quiz him about his campaigning, cooking veggies and tap into his knowledge of rearing livestock, growing produce and, of course, cooking and baking. If you're unable join us on Thursday, send your advance questions to this thread.

All mumsnetters who send in questions to Hugh will be entered into a draw to win one of five copies of River Cottage Veg Every Day. We'll announce the winners post webchat.

Hi Hugh, we are a couple of years ahead of you with the veg thing . But your sweet potato gratin recipe has gone down a treat, so I'm looking forward to trying more of your veg recipes.

No question, really, but I do want to thank you for basically teaching me how to make ice cream. A French friend who is a bit of a gourmand said mine was the best he'd ever tasted! So cheers matey for the inspiration.

Hello Hugh,

Do you have a recipe for damson/pea pod/ marrow/ autumn produce etc wine?
We have a winter to get through and it is easier to cope with when mildly soused, of an evening.

I could google but want to hear it from you.

Thank you for all the work and energy you and your team have put into the campaigns, especially Landshare and ChickenOut. Good luck with further campaigning and raising awareness.

Hi You have had a massive influence on my husband and we now keep chickens and grow potato's, beets, tom's, carrots, onions, beans & strawberries!! We also grew a tremendous amount of radish, didn't realise they would be so easy to grow!! What would you do with excessive radish? PS are you really vegetarian now?

Hi Hugh
Knowing that many of your fellow ex-Etonian peers went down the directly political career trajectory, just wondered what inspired you to go down the garden path instead?

Hi Hugh, I would like to ask - how many meals can you get out of a chicken?

Hi Hugh, I'm a big fan too.

What is your favorite recipe in the new book?

Thanks :)

We are a family of five who are very keen to eat less meat, but 3 of us are under 6. Would you say that the recipes in the Veg book are appropriate for younger children -particularly those who take one look at a mushroom and look back at you like you are trying to poison them? I'm not sure I'd have much luck getting my children to eat many of your recipes on the basis of the amazon blurb I just looked at.

hello Hugh Warm Welcome to musmnet

I have bought a slow cooker which I have not used as I scaredof it which of your books would you recommend for some lovely Autumn Recipes.

I want to do a hearty meal for 6 inc Starter, Main and Dessert that can be enjoyed after a long walk.

Many thanks and keep up the goodwork.

Hello Hugh,

I've just watched your Fish Fight programmes (I'm not in the UK so I'm a bit behind) and have persuaded my friends to sign up to the campaign. You're doing a great job there.

Since bagelmonkey has already asked my question, I would like to ask your advice on setting up a veg garden within my company's grounds, which are rather extensive. Any advice on how to persuade management, how to encourage colleagues, organise rotas and most importantly what would be best to grow? We are in an environment which has all four seasons but gets very hot in summer with quite large temperature swings.

Thank you and keep up the campaigning - we're right behind you!

Hi Hugh

I havent seen a lot of your programmes only a couple but enough to say that i was impressed with your "honest" cooking and all the ethos involved with it.
My question to you is how do i grow enough basil to make pesto every week!
Thanks

Sorry, may I have a follow-up question? Hugh, of all your books, which is the one you would recommend the most or are most pleased with?

Hi Hugh! We love your books in this house......we cook from them regularly.

My question is: if you could only grow 5 types of veg in your garden what would you choose?

Hello Hugh, huge fan here (though could manage with less puns). Loved the work you did in Bristol and all the encouragement you gave them got me off my arse and onto an allotment waiting list. Found out I was pg within a month of getting one.

Some (little) work done and a second child later, my question is what would you recommend to get a 2/3 year old helping, whilst MiL keeps baby amused and I dig. She loves watering but I would love to involve her more with stuff I don't need to constantly monitor. Also (sorry) how do you deal with horsetail? I've been told to ignore all the stuff about weedkiller and just pull it at surface level and let it die off gradually. Can I maybe combine the two and get DD pulling it up?

Sorry, meant to add, can you recommend veg that's fast growing so DD can see results whilst she still remembers planting seeds?

Oooh Hugh you've had a haircut! You look younger!

Ooh I love you Hugh

Really glad that you're pushing vegetables. Given that Alain Passard has also been pushing vegetables, and Gordon Ramsay has softened his attitude towards vegetarians, do you think that there is a real chance for a genuine change in Western eating habits? Do you think people in general will ever accept that meat has to become a treat rather than a diet staple if we are to ensure humanity's survival?

p.s. Blessed Be ;o)

Hi Hugh,

We love your books and cook from them regularly. The bread and cake handbooks are in regular use too and the Toddler and Baby Cookbook is regularly gifted to new parents, as it has turned me from a total kitchen disaster into someone who can actually feed her kids (always a bonus!).

We get a weekly veg box and I'm always at a bit of a loss as to what to do with the 'greens' like kale and some nondescript ones that appear every now and then. I want to prepare things which the children will eat too (3.5 and 1), maybe soups?

Why do your staff not reply to letters sent to you,but get passed on to other members of your staff.Who do not bother replying. I wrote some months ago to you, your secretary said she had passed the letter onto Gill and he would get back to me. Well never heard a thing.

Hi Hugh,
Well done for all the good work on fish fight!
Can u recommend a recipe for a couple with a newborn that is easy and fast for chicken - we r bored of grilling but don't have much time to eat healthily.

Hi Hugh, we're now buying free range eggs locally but are thinking of getting two or three hens for our back garden (our little girl is very excited!). We'd just like to know how much room should you give your hens? Our garden isn't very big and is mostly gravel (with a 5x8' patch for the coop/run) Also we're debating on whether to spend a lot of money on a ready built coop/run or to actually build one...are hens that fussy? lol Kerry :)

Ok Hugh, I agree with your fish fight and I signed the petition (you're welcome) but there is just one snag. I hate fish as does the rest of my family. We can eat tuna bake, just about and salmon's ok. But no matter what recipe I've followed and what fish I've tried, we just hate fish.

The trouble is that it's just so damn boney! Picking out fish bones from a mouthful of food is not good.

Then you have the taste. Fishy. I've tried it with lemon and herbs and tomatoes and goodness knows what else but the taste only varies from mildly fishy to strong fish.

If you can tell me how to cook fish so that my family will not only eat it but convert to actually liking it, then I shall physically go out and buy your books.

Firstly I just want my first ever Mumsnet sycophant post to be for Hugh: we all love him and my 11 year old in particular is a fan. Well done of the fish in particular, and making GYO look fun (it is, we;ve just finished our first season).

Secondly I want to say is he going to the carnival this year? We can't take our float (based in Cullompton) as it's a risk to take hundred footers around but we shall be there eyeing up the competition ready for the Somerset circuit next week supporting everyone else. Have you any ideas for easy meals we can take with us? We spend all season hopping around Devon and Somerset, finishing right at the end of November, and frankly burgers from greasy stalls is not what you need when you and your children face several hours dancing in the freezing cold wearing only a costume.

TIA.

Hugh, I love you!

I need you to know that when your family picniced next to mine at Bewilderwood, and we were eating monster munch and fruit shoots, well this is not typical for us at all.

This is really important to me Hugh. You do know this don't you?

You'll all arse lickers! Honestly!

We make our own Monster Munch and Fruit Shoots, do you not?