I am truly delighted to announce Nourish the Planet – a new series of recipes, inspiration and kitchen tips about delicious and nutritious plant-forward food that doesn't harm our planet.

It’s hard to open the environment or food section of a major newspaper these days without seeing headlines about how our modern food system is a major player in the environmental crisis. The mind boggles thinking about how the production, land use and transport of our food is responsible for somewhere between 21 – 37% of greenhouse gas emissions (these are some of the most recent stats from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). As you know, I am not an environmental scientist, but I do trust what the scientists are telling us, which is that we are in big trouble and must do everything we can to limit the rise in global temperatures. Our food system plays a major role in this. As a food writer, cookbook author and cooking school instructor, this goes right to the heart of everything I do and is impossible for me to ignore.

For those of you who have followed my cookbooks over the years, embracing the climate-change solution for a more plant-based diet will come as no surprise to you. From Vegetable Harvest to Salad as a Meal, my books have always celebrated the joys of a plant-centered plate. My connection to all this began with my 1950s upbringing in Wisconsin with a mother who made everything from scratch in the kitchen, fed us from a vegetable garden full of tomatoes, salads and Swiss chard, and preserved everything she could get her hands on. For many of you probably, back then “local” was the norm not a trend – I didn’t know what salmon or lamb tasted like until I left home for college. Cooking with seasonal, local produce and embracing the French concept of terroir has always come naturally to me – notions I have always tried to infuse into my books and share with my students. And now, with every headline I read about our need to decarbonize our lives, I am more convinced than ever that there is no better way to cook.

My wonderful assistant, Emily Buchanan, with whom I have worked for many years and has collaborated with me writing the latest Food Lover’s Guide to Paris (both the book and the constantly updated app) and My Master Recipes, is also a certified health and nutrition coach who helps people to rethink their relationship to food: for themselves, their family, their community and for the planet.

Through Nourish the Planet we will share our joint passions with you – bringing you recipes and ideas about how to cook vibrant, delicious plant-forward food that has a limited carbon footprint.

We’re not suggesting you have to go vegan or even vegetarian, but rather offering you fun ideas and enticing recipes to encourage you to put plants at the center of your plate and consider how what you eat (and what you don’t!) impacts the planet.

You can follow the series here on the blog, or the Patricia Wells Facebook page, Patricia’s instagram account or over at Emily's instagram or website The New Superette.

We hope you’ll use this to inspire a greener, low impact kitchen and share with your friends and family!