Potato Recipe Book: over 100 sold

Well the Potato Recipe book is selling very well - over a 100 copies sold before todays' article in Stroud Life (copied below). The Town Council are also being supportive - see their piece here. It looks like we might have to print more if sales continue at this rate.....of course it makes an excellent Christmas present!

Stroud cooks up potato book

Philip Booth and Desirée de Romano with the new Pan-Fried, Peeled and Proud recipe book.

LOCAL potato recipes have been brought together in a new book. Pan-Fried, Peeled and Proud – Potatoes from Stroud celebrates the humble spud and was launched on Saturday ahead of Stroud's first celebration of Potato Day on February 5, 2011.

The book is a Transition Stroud initiative and is edited by the aptly named Maris Piper and Desirée de Romano.

Desirée said: "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 Giuseppe of Giusseppe's gourmet restaurant all shared their own favourite potato recipes. We even have a recipe from Matthew Fort, food writer in The Guardian and a potato fan."

She added: "It really has been a collaborative effort that has shown the generosity and enthusiasm of the people of the Stroud Valleys."

The book is on sale for £4, or three Stroud Pounds, with all proceeds going to Transition Stroud to support local, low-carbon projects.

"Bringing the different elements of the book together has been a joy," said Philip Booth, organiser of the Stroud Potato celebrations. 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 February 5 in Merrywalks, we will be selling over half a ton of different seed potatoes."

He added: "This is about encouraging folk to grow different varieties and encouraging people who have never grown veg to give it a try."

Stroud Potato Day has launched a new website with details of the event and more at www.stroudpotatoday.blogspot.com/.

To find out more about Transition Stroud go to www.transitionstroud.org

The book is out now and available at the Stroud Valleys Project shop in Threadneedle Street and Stroud Bookshop in the High Street.

From Guiseppe's Gourmet restaurant at Bristol & Gloucestershire Gliding Club, Nympsfield

Cartoon: Russ cartoon - nothing to do with Guiseppe's!

Ingredients: Half glass of water. 4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and sliced. 6/7tbs olive oil. Salt to taste. 1tbs oregano. 500ml fresh cream. 100g/4oz grated cheese such as cheddar.

Method: Put the water in an ovenproof dish and add the potatoes, salt, oregano and olive oil. Mix them together well, cover and put in a pre-heated oven 190C/400F/Gas Mark 5 for 20 to 30min until the potatoes have softened. Pour on fresh cream and grated cheese and return to the oven for 10 to 15min until the cheese is golden brown.