IT WAS during his first job, working at an intensive pig farm, that eco-chef and food waste campaigner Tom Hunt became a vegetarian and he’ll be offering plenty of food for thought when he makes a special guest appearance at Northern Ireland's only Slow Food Festival, which takes place in Derry next month.
Author of The Natural Cook: Eating The Seasons from Root to Fruit, Hunt will put his mantra about using every last piece of every ingredient centre stage at the Guildhall Square event.
Organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council as part of Slow Food Week, the festival will be a first trip to the north west for the pioneering young restaurateur who worked with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on the River Cottage TV series.
Speaking ahead of the festival, whose inaugural run last year attracted 25,000 visitors, Hunt is passionate that people are conscious of not over-buying on the weekly grocery shop.
His ‘100 per cent seasonal’ tapas restaurant Poco in Bristol – which won the Best Ethical Restaurant award in 2013 – is all about eliminating waste, celebrating the seasons and eating well. The seeds of his foodie philosophy were planted during his childhood growing up in Dorset.
“I started out eating around the table at home and cooking a lot with my family. Then I got a job at an intensive pig farm where I became vegetarian for the first time,” says Hunt, who enjoys working his culinary magic on wonky vegetables, blemished fruit, and surplus meat and fish that might otherwise be destined for the bin.
While Hunt embarked on a Fine Art degree at Falmouth University in Cornwall, his “serious passion for cooking” saw him mentored by close friend and professional chef, Ben Hodges.
“We travelled around British music festivals and catering for weddings where we basically cooked everything from scratch using organic produce. By the time I had finished my art degree, although I loved art and painting, I was ready to put down my paintbrushes and pick up my knives to follow a career in cooking," Hunt recalls.
“I have always cooked consciously but the big turning point was when I was invited to cook for 200 people on Suffolk Bridge in London by Tristram Stuart, author of Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal & The Bloodless Revolution, and his team. We were inundated with incredible organic produce that would otherwise have gone to waste.”
Hunt went on to set up the Forgotten Feast, a campaign promoting sustainable food through dining and celebration – working closely with charitable organisations Slow Food, FareShare and Action Against Hunger while highlighting concerns in the food industry.
He believes that saving money by using the whole ingredient, whether it's cheap cuts of meat or the greens from a root vegetable, creates a budget for buying higher-welfare, better-quality ingredients that, in turn, provide better nutrition and support local communities.
Visitors to the Slow Food Festival in Derry can look forward to eco-friendly tips on how to get more from your food, improve nutrition and flavour, save money and support better farming. The ethos of Slow Food is good, clean and fair food for everyone which is not mass produced. The global grassroots movement founded in Italy with supporters in around 150 countries, links the pleasure of food with a commitment to local communities and the environment.
Hunt’s veg-led cookery demonstrations feature recipes inspired by his ‘Root to Fruit’ eating philosophy; eat for pleasure, eat whole foods and eat the best you can.
According to Hunt, an ambassador for the Soil Association and Fair Trade Foundation, although he only eats organic food, he is spending less than he ever did before because he operates a zero waste policy. Below are two of his recipes for you to try.
:: The Slow Food Festival, Guildhall Square, Derry, October 7 and 8, 12 noon-6pm; funded by Tourism NI and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs NI Regional Food Programme, supported by Slow Food NI and sponsored by Supervalu. For full details see derrystrabane.com/food
ROAST CAULIFLOWER STEAKS, CRISPY LEAVES AND HAZELNUT SAUCE
(Serves 4-6 as a side dish or starter)
1 small cauliflower, leaves still attached
Glug light olive oil
80g hazelnuts, soaked for a minimum of four hours or overnight
1 large clove garlic
50ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
1 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
25g stale bread
125ml cold water
2 sprigs mint, leaves torn or whole, stems finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 180C. Pull the larger leaves from the cauliflower, cut them in half and place in a medium-sized roasting tin. Cut the cauliflower into 3cm-thick slices or steaks from top to bottom and add to the tin. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25-35 minutes until the cauliflower chars slightly and softens inside.
Place 50g of the soaked hazelnuts in a high-powered blender with the garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Soak the bread in water for a few seconds until soft, squeeze out any excess water and add to the blender. Blend to a very smooth paste for several minutes. Add the water and blend together. Adjust the seasoning and add more vinegar if necessary.
Serve the slices of roast cauliflower and crispy leaves drizzled with the hazelnut sauce, the remaining hazelnuts, crushed and sprinkled over the top, and torn mint leaves.
BEETROOT LEAF BORANI: IRANIAN-STYLE YOGHURT AND WALNUT DIP (WITH MISFIT CRUDITÉS)
(Serves 4 as a snack or starter)
1 bunch (about 180g) beetroot stalks and leaves, washed
1 small clove garlic, pureed
A few glugs of extra virgin olive oil
150g thick full fat yoghurt or soya yoghurt
1/4 lemon, zest and juiced
1 tsp za’atar or dried mint
25g walnuts, crushed into large pieces
2 whole wheat pita bread to serve
To serve: crudité batons of seasonal vegetables
1 cauliflower with leaves
1 small bunch chard (red or rainbow)
1 head celery (pick a leafy one)
1 head broccoli
1 head fennel (with long stalks)
2 little gem
Slice the beetroot leaves and stalks finely. Place in a thick based frying pan with a glug of extra virgin olive oil and pinch of salt. Place on a medium heat with a lid on top. After a few minutes when the leaves heat up, give them a stir and return the lid. Cook for a further minute then remove the lid, add half the garlic, and keep stirring. Turn up the heat and cook until the juices have evaporated. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
When cold, mix the cooked beetroot leaves with the yoghurt, remaining garlic and lemon zest and juice. Season to taste.
Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with za’atar or dried mint if using, a sprinkle of crushed walnuts and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Eat with toasted whole-wheat pita bread and or seasonal crudités. I like to make crudités out of the parts of vegetables that often get thrown away.
