Launch of the Stroud Potato Recipe Book

Below is the press release regarding a project we have been working on for some months - come and see us there on Saturday then buy your seed potatoes from us in February.....

A collection of local potato recipes have been brought together in a new book to be launched Saturday 11th December at 10:00.

10:00 to 10:15 Saturday 11th December at the Stroud Valleys Project

Photos: Book cover, Russ cartoon and potatoes on our local allotments

The new book 'Pan-Fried, Peeled and Proud - Potatoes from Stroud. A Recipe Book' is being launched to advertise Stroud's first ever celebration of Potato Day on 5th February 2011.

The book is a Transition Stroud initiative and is edited by the aptly named Maris Piper and Desirée de Romano. Desirée said: "Bringing the different elements of the book together has been a joy. Stroud provided suitably gifted people just when they were needed; Dennis Gould stepped forward to do the cover, photographer Fred Chance heroically offered to do the design and layout, poet and artist Jeff Cloves (AKA Edward Rex) was inspired to write a Potato Pie Poem and to create the beautiful illustrations that bring the book to life.

"The recipes have all come from local people, some professional cooks and some who are experts at creating delicious meals for their friends and family. Woodruffs, J Rool, Mill's Cafe and Guisseppe of Guisseppe's gourmet restaurant all shared their own favourite potato recipes. We even have a recipe from Matthew Fort, food writer in the Guardian and potato fan. It really has been a collaborative effort that has shown the generosity and enthusiasm of the people of the Stroud Valleys. Thanks go to all of them as well as to Stroud Valleys Eco Shop on Threadneedle Street and Stroud Book Shop for selling the book on behalf of Transition Stroud."

Philip Booth, organiser of the Stroud Potato celebrations said: "This recipe book is part of our celebration of the many different varieties of potato and how they can be used. Supermarkets don't offer much choice of potatoes, but growing your own opens up all sorts of opportunities. On Saturday 5th February in Merrywalks we will be selling over half a tonne of different seed potatoes supplied by Dundry Nurseries. This is about encouraging folk to grow different varieties and encouraging people who have never grown veg to give it a try."

Philip Booth added: "There is an issue of food security that we will be hearing more about as oil prices climb, harvests suffer from the changing climate and demand increases from countries like China. 40% of the food we eat is imported: if more people grow their own then we can be less reliant on food imports from other countries."

Stroud Potato Day has launched a new website with details of the event and more at:
http://stroudpotatoday.blogspot.com/. To find out more about Transition Stroud go to: www.transitionstroud.org

The book will sell for £4 (or £3 Stroud Pounds) with all proceeds going to Transition Stroud to support local, low carbon projects. Make Christmas shopping easy and buy one for everyone you know, safe in the knowledge that you are supporting your local community and the environment.

We are hoping it will be available at the new Stroud Valleys Project shop and the Stroud Bookshop from Saturday 11th December. I hope to be able to confirm early this week.