Your questions answered

[To finish his stint as Yahoo! UK & Ireland guest editor, Hugh was kind enough to answer some of your questions.]

I keep hearing about certain types of fish being 'overfished' and at risk from extinction - which species are safe to eat and which type should be avoided to preserve stock levels? - Helen Dobson

There's no question we have a problem with fish stocks, both in UK waters and globally.

Cod is the classic story of a fish where stocks were once thought to be inexhaustible, and is now on the brink of collapse. Of course there is still plenty of cod which can be caught, but it's reaching a critical point, which could result in a total collapse.

So cod is one to be avoided, but there are many other fish which substitute well of cod in recipes such as pollock and pouting, which many chefs are starting to champion.

It's also as much about methods as species, so you should try to avoid fish which are being trawled (this damages the sea bottom) and go for fish which have been line-caught or caught on static nets.

I have just moved from a flat with no garden to a house with a garden, I want to try growing some food, but am a complete novice. What would you recommend I start with, suitable to plant now? - Sam Clue

The key to starting growing your own vegetables is simple: grow vegetables which you know you'll enjoy eating. There are no rules- whatever takes your fancy.

Most vegetables are quite easy to grow, so whether it's potatoes, carrots, peas, beans or cabbages, if you like eating them, try growing them.

Do you have any pets, or have you eaten them all? - Emma Bourne

A springer-spaniel pointer cross-breed called Dolly who has been with us for nearly seven years and has given us two litters of lovely puppies. So far she and all her puppies have managed to dodge the pot!

I often endeavour to make my own stocks, and to my understanding, it's the bone marrow that adds flavour to the stocks. Why is it then that I've never found a recipe for pork stock? Is there such a thing? Do you have a good recipe using pork bone marrow? - Roy Francis Huemer

It's good fresh meat bones which make good stock, and you can definitely make a good pork stock. I like to use a mixture of rib bones and leg bones - some roasted, some fresh - with plenty of stock vegetables.

The key is a long, slow simmer - at least three to four hours. Pork stock, like chicken stock, is very versatile and well worth making.

We love your shows and books and try to live the life. We should probably be more imaginative with adults' and kid's lunchboxes, but ham is a favourite. It seems impossible to get ham from 'happy pigs' though. A bit more pressure on the supermarkets may be needed. I also think posh packaging on bacon in supermarkets is possibly trying to fool us that the meat is free range when it isn't if you read carefully. What do you think? - Dominic Foy

If you're looking for higher welfare pork products then look for the labels 'free range' or 'outdoor reared'. Best of all, go for organic. It costs a little more, but if you care about animal welfare, it makes a difference. Soil Association-certified organic pork is rated as the highest welfare standard.

The space given for free range chickens at my local supermarket is minuscule, and the price is extortionate. I feel they are making it as difficult as they possibly can for people to buy free-range.  Do you think thinks will change? - Hilary Hutchinson

Things are changing. Not as fast as we like, but they're changing for the better. Most supermarkets are selling twice as much free range chicken as they did at the beginning of the year. There is a problem now with demand outstripping supply, and this can lead to empty shelves in some supermarkets.

Our campaign continues, and we hope to keep the pressure up on supermarkets to make more free range chicken available. Free range chicken will, however, always cost a little more. My view is not that free range is too expensive, it's that intensively farmed chicken is horrendously, artificially cheap.

I think a possible alternative to totally organic farms or to legislation regarding animal welfare would be open farming. In this, farms that participate would not promise no cruelty or pesticides, etc. Rather they would promise to be open to inspection by anyone who pays an inspection fee. Just the naming and shaming would help to make the animal process more humane. Obviously farms that already have nothing to hide would sign up first as there would be no cost involved. If sufficient market share was created, or sufficient publicity, the alternative question would arise in peoples minds: what am I eating that is so shameful/dirty that it has to be hidden? I realise this is a topic, not exactly a question but I was wondering about the feasibility of this project? - John

I like your idea about open farming. There's no doubt it's a controversial topic, and I think this is a great issue to take to the River Cottage forum. Why not post a message there and see what kind of response you get? It's definitely the kind of thing our River Cottage regulars like to debate.

We have a small vegetable patch at home, however this year we have struggled to grow much due to the seeds being eaten by moles etc. What is your top tip for stopping this happening? - James Wilson

I've never really had problems with moles. The bugbear of my life is slugs - we have to go on night patrol to remove them, particularly from cabbages and lettuce. I believe, however, you can get electronic mole repellents that create vibrations in the soil which moles don't like.

We all know that beef will have more flavour if it has been properly matured.  We all know that most supermarket beef has only been aged a few days, if at all.  Is it possible to age supermarket beef at home, and if so, under what conditions? - Chi Wong

It's very difficult to age small joints of boneless beef which have already been packaged for sale. Aging is much more effective with larger joints and meat which is still on the bone.

About the smallest joint you could successfully age at home would be a four rib of beef still on the bone. It's something you may find in some supermarkets but, frankly, you'd be better off buying from a local butcher or farmers' market where it will have been matured properly.

I would love to taste samphire, the poor man's version of asparagus, but you never see it in supermarkets. Any idea why? Can you start a campaign? - Jane C

The traditional place to get samphire is from a fishmongers - they used to give you a handful for free. These days, you almost certainly have to pay for it, but it is worth it as it's a very unusual vegetable.

If you go to marshy tidal flats around Britain you may be able to pick your own, but it's coming to the end of the samphire season

Given the fact that the production of meat uses a vast amount of the earth's natural and dwindling resources, plus contributes significantly to global warming - should we be encouraging people to adopt more of a vegetarian diet? - Laiyan Man

People know that I'm an enthusiastic carnivore. Having said that, I definitely think we need to be eating less meat on this planet, not more. Meat is a precious food which we should never take for granted. We should all aim to use it more wisely and more 'sustainably'.

Thanks for your questions everyone. Sorry I haven't been able to answer all of them. You could try posting on the River Cottage forum where you'll find our enthusiastic band of smallholders and 'grow your own' enthusiasts are filling to help. Bye!