Last Saturday morning, Phlorum staff set out for a lovely weekend in France, courtesy of Jane and her husband Ron. We had to set off very early to catch the ferry from Dover to Calais, so not much sleep was had by all. By the time we got the hang of driving on the wrong side of the road and going around roundabouts the wrong way, we were almost there!
Ron and Jane showed us the sights and some local bars and we got back to the house just in time for Paul to arrive in the early evening. Paul set off on Friday night by Bicycle from Newhaven, camped outside Dieppe and started pedalling early on Saturday morning; a good 70 miles! He was a bit worn out and damp, but seemed to have enjoyed it all the same! He arrived just in time for a spectacular French feast and lots of wine which I am sure made him feel a lot better.
After being thoroughly spoiled and having a fabulous time (and no doubt with the trousers a bit tighter that previously), it was time to set off for Old Blighty again on the Sunday afternoon, via the cheese and wine shop of course (Paul left early in the morning as he was pedalling again!!).
Nettle has a new rival on the edible-weed front; Japanese knotweed, often regarded as a problem plant, has proved itself to be quite a culinary treat according to Phlorum’s Edible Japanese Knotweed Campaign in association with Brighton’s vegetarian restaurant Terre à Terre. So before you start to exterminate the plant’s, smooth, heart-shaped leaves and youthful purple streaked bamboo-like stems, consider eating away your Japanese knotweed troubles!
On a recent BBC Sussex radio appearance for the campaign, Dr. Paul Beckett claimed that if Japanese knotweed is brought under control by recently approved field trials to release a knotweed-sucking insect called Aphalara itadori then ”why not use it the same way people use other pot herbs and other native vegetation to cook with?“
The inspiration for Phlorum’s knotweed eating campaign initially arose from the inspirational work of Bun Lai, the chef and owner of Mia Sushi restaurant
who has made incredible dishes with the plant and the sharing of imaginative recipes through social networks and shared with us by Kazuyoshi Nomachi http://twitter.com/im_yutaka
Described with a flavour between asparagus and rhubarb, Japanese knotweed shoots are ready for providing a delightful tang and riveting crunch around late spring each year. Best eaten when the plant is around 6 to 8 inches tall, the knotweed can be transformed via various cooking methods such as steaming, and simmering into delicious dishes such as soups, sauces, fruit compotes and even jam. Although the plants leaves should be discarded, the rind surrounding the stalk of the knotweed can also be used to make a delightful tangy marmalade. Furthermore, besides being a delicious ingredient for cooking, Japanese knotweed provides an excellent source of vitamin A and C, along with its cofactor, the antioxidant rutin.
The plant interestingly also contains potassium, phosphorus and zinc providing the components for a very healthy ingredient.
Following Phlorum’s recent BBC radio appearance, the Japanese knotweed professionals have also been working with the award-winning Brighton-based vegetarian restaurant Terre à Terre (http://www.terreaterre.co.uk/), in order to stir up some delicious recipes with the plant.
This collaboration will also be available for viewers to watch as on Wednesday the 21st of April, a BBC South film crew will be visiting Olivia, Terre à Terre’s Events, Marketing and Design Manager in order to film Japanese knotweed delights being prepared in the kitchen and then tasted at the restaurant. Along with a TV appearance, Phlorum will also be making a further radio appearance on the same day on BBC Sussex Radio station in order to take part in the breakfast show recording of Japanese knotweed being consumed live on air with the breakfast show host, Neil Pringle.
An exciting day for us today at Phlorum’s southern office.
David Miliband, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, popped by. He was here to meet with Elektromotive, a brilliant company that’s doing wonderful things with electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
However, we managed to spend some time with him to discuss our life cycle carbon assessment tool that’s currently being showcased at Ecobuild. David Miliband was impressed, which gives us greater confidence that the life cycle carbon assessment tool will be of use to those currently carrying out SAP, BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes assessments. Maybe he’ll even mention it to his brother, Ed, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which would be nice!
On Saturday 23rd January 2010 Paul married his fiance Felicity Ventom.
The couple were wed at St Joseph’s Catholic Church here in Brighton, before the groom whisked his bride off on his bicycle (5 stars for environmentality, 0 stars for common sense) to the stunning Royal Albion hotel for the reception, which was attended by 300 guests (Paul claimed to know about half). The festivities continued into the late evening and various members of Phlorum were spotted strutting their stuff on the dancefloor after a brief introductory lesson in highland dancing. Rumours of spots at the Edinburgh festival are at present unconfirmed. Paul and Flick are seen here ‘dancing’ for the first time as a married couple to the Smiths, which was a great song of choice. Everyone present had a great time, and Paul is now on his honeymoon staying in a tent in Wales, partly due to the financial toll of a wedding, and partly as he believes in giving Flick an insight into the realities of married life as soon as possible.
We all wish Paul and Flick the best of luck as husband and wife. Congratulations!
If only Roy Cropper had asked Phlorum to do the bat survey for his society he wouldn’t have landed up in the canal by the hands of the murderer Tony Gordon. But the dramas of Coronation Street aside, Roy’s wife, Hayley, is right in thinking that the bats should be hibernating by now and, consequently, it is still possible and necessary for bat surveys to be performed. Although bats do hibernate in the winter, if there is a spell of warm weather they will wake up and forage until it gets cold again.
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