In Transition 2.0

The UK Green Film Festival is a welcome addition to the touring film festival circuit. Now in its second year, it tours to a dozen venues - including Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff (18-20 May 2012). This year’s films included ones about the appalling levels of food wastage from farm to fork (Taste the Waste), turning vegan (Vegucated), corruption in the oil industry (Greedy Lying Bastards) and light pollution (The City Dark).

I went to see In Transition 2.0 (UK, 2012), a film directed by Emma Goude that provides a useful update on Transition Town projects. The Transition movement seeks to help communities prepare for an economically-uncertain post-peak oil world by enhancing local self-sufficiency. It’s about visualizing how your community may look in 20-30 years time, and putting in place the necessary sustainable energy and food framework to maintain a high (or even enhanced) quality of life. The film is structured around an interview with Rob Hopkins, who has outlined practical steps “from oil dependency to local resilience” in a series of books and is co-founder of the pioneering Totnes Transition Town.

The film incorporates stories from around the world (no aircraft travel – all groups sent their own sections via the Internet), showing how community groups have variously implemented transition steps to achieve greater local sustainability. Food projects usually provide the initial success. These include community gardens in reclaimed urban spaces (e.g., gardens of abandoned houses, railway platforms) and co-operatives selling local food. Local currencies are increasingly being used to promote local trade (the Brixton Pounds has even gone electronic), while local energy production is shown to be a good way forward (e.g., Lewes’ community solar power station). Bringing communities together is time and again a key factor in successful Transition Town initiatives.

After the film, Sam and Helen from the Cardiff Transition group spoke about projects in the Cardiff area. Most Transition Towns have been small towns or villages, so being in a large city they see their main role initially as being to help connect existing activities and sustainable businesses throughout the city. Projects include mapping (using Google map technology) of urban orchards and gardens, along with energy efficiency surveys and the establishment of community gardens (there’s even one at Chapter Arts Centre). The Taff, a local trading currency has been established, and more initiatives are shortly to be announced. Cardiff Transition Town officially launches this week (Wednesday May 23) at an event in the Old Library (see Transition Cardiff Event on Facebook to book).

UK Green Film Festival:

www.ukgreenfilmfestival.org

Related Food Blog posts:

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/creating-community-garden-2.html

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/creating-community-garden.html 

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/steve-garrett-on-local-food-in-cardiff.html

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/edible-landscapes.html

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/community-gardens.html

Pieminister: Butter ‘nut nut’ pie

One strand on this blog has me cooking recipes from the book Pieminister: a pie for all seasons (Tristan Hogg and Jon Simon, 2011). Although this variation on American pumpkin pie is in the autumn section of the book (page 154), we still have British-grown squashes from vegetable boxes in the veg rack (and the thicker skinned squashes do keep well).

I made the suggested half-quantity of shortcrust pastry, following the book (page 10; the all-butter Pieminister way). This was barely enough to line the shallow pie dish I was using, but once you taste the pie you realize you don't want to overdo the pastry on this one. The pastry is cooked 15-20 minutes before the filling is added.

The filling is made from boiled cubes of butternut squash blended with cream (200ml), a couple of eggs, soft brown sugar (80g), and some grated nutmeg. I used a butternut squash that was to hand and, not wanting any left, put in more than the amount suggested in the recipe. I kept all the other filling measurements as in the book; it worked fine. The filling gets layered onto the part-cooked pastry base and put back in the oven for about 20 minutes.

I made the topping using flaked almonds (100g), just a few hazelnuts, and walnuts (100g) instead of the suggested pecans. These were pulsed in a blender and mixed with maple syrup (4 tablespoons) and pumpkin seeds (40g). When this has been stirred together it is put over the butternut filling, which should have just set, and the pie returned to the oven for about another 10 minutes to roast the nutty topping.

I am glad I made the effort (i.e., crossed the road to the shop) to obtain the sunflower seeds. Not an ingredient I use much, but they work well on the topping here; the partly-ground nuts with the whole sunflower seeds giving a very satisfying texture. I did not feel I needed to drizzle on the suggested extra maple syrup.

This pie is filling. The book suggests that this recipe serves 6. It will keep our family of four going for at least three days as dessert (with the remaining cream, with yoghurt, with ice cream).

See also:

Pieminister: Homity Pie:

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/02/pieminister-homity-pie.html

Pieminister: Courgette & chickpea filo pie:

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/pieminister-courgette-and-chickpea-filo.html

The Pieminister book:

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/01/pieminister-wheres-lard.html