Riverford Magazine - March 2012

march + april

Riverford spring magazine

win a day at our dairy

easter eating

holiday cooking for families

new boxes

a week’s meat and veg asparagus cauliflower spring greens

spring in the air It’s been a bumper start to the year, thanks to the mild weather. We enjoyed the best crop of winter leeks we can remember, purple sprouting broccoli f lourished early and cabbages were abundant, sweet and tender. Spring crops are already in tip top condition and running weeks ahead of schedule. A good time for veg eating!

new + seasonal heroes asparagus caulif lower easter food and recipes mixed meat and vegboxes - a week’s eating in one go muesli new cheeses Our food is seasonal and depends on Mother Nature, so not everything is available all the time. But it will taste all the better for the wait.

f ind out more at www.riverford.co.uk

WINNER 2009 2010 2011

Tom Browne’s pigs enjoying the sunshine

springtime on the farm

leafy spring greens in the field

cutting cauliflower for the boxes

asparagus grower Pepe showing Guy his Spanish fields

news from the farms Our regional farms around the UK (and one in France) are our way of growing fruit and veg as close to your home as practical.

Guy Watson, Wash Farm, Devon Three acres of broad beans were sown in January and, hungry crows allowing, they should be ready in mid-June. We’ve covered the crop with mesh to help protect the emerging seedlings and warm the soil a little, so fingers crossed we get a decent harvest. Spring greens and purple sprouting broccoli have done well despite a little early flushing due to purple sprouting broccoli flushed early this year

the mild weather. Meanwhile, our new polytunnel has earned its keep so far by easily meeting the planned yields for our winter salad leaves. The gentle start to the winter certainly helped. The final salad crops have been sown inside, after which they’ll move outside to clear the way for spring onions, tomatoes, mini cucumbers and French beans.

Nigel Venni, Sacrewell Farm, Cambridgeshire After a good season of winter crops including leeks, cabbages, kale and spring greens, it’s turnaround time for Nigel. Two acres of garlic were planted before Christmas, which will be harvested in May as the Mediterraneaninspired wet garlic. Broad beans, Batavia and Little Gem lettuces will follow, as well as spinach. The farm has nearly four acres of wild bird seed plots too, and this winter brought visitors including corn buntings, grey partridge, lapwings, fieldfares, red kites and barn owls.

read the latest news in your weekly newsletter

Peter + Jo-ann Richardson, Home Farm, North Yorkshire After the mildest winter for several years, it’s been an almost seamless transition into the spring planting season for Peter.

Broad beans went in back in February, to be followed by new plantings every few weeks to keep the supply coming.

Novella, the first of his potatoes (easily the biggest crop on the farm) will go in during March, as will the early carrots for harvesting as bunches in June or July.

This year Peter also hopes to try out Pink Fir Apple potatoes; fantastic to eat, but a devil to grow organically.

Chris Wakef ield, Upper Norton Farm, Hampshire The spring onions that Chris and his team planted in the polytunnels during November got off to a great start, thanks to the mild conditions. The crop should yield a very healthy 25,000 bunches around two weeks ahead of outdoorgrown plantings in March. Butterhead lettuce also went in during early January, and once those crops are cleared, the herb season recommences. Coriander, parsley and basil will be nurtured in the warmth of the polytunnels, while sage, thyme, rosemary and oregano will grow outside. There will also be a new crop of mint, after some culinary testing!

pink fir apples are Peter’s new challenge

Guy Watson, Le Boutinard, France Our autumn-sown carrots are doing well, putting us on track to have them ready in April to plug the supply gap before the UK crop is ready. Meanwhile our spinach is struggling; poor germination followed by some fairly extensive frost damage have taken their toll. Thankfully the Batavia lettuces are looking good under their mini-tunnels, and we are busy planning in chilli peppers, squash and 25 acres of sweetcorn, possibly to include a multicoloured variety. After experimenting with Cape gooseberries and tomatillos back in Devon last year we’re giving both crops a go here in France this summer, as well as the locally popular Mogette beans, for drying and relishing in winter stews.

everything we grow + sell is organic

meat + vegboxes your week’s food in one easy, affordable step coming soon Your week’s worth of meat and veg in one easy, affordable step: brand new mixed organic meat and vegboxes. what is a meat + vegbox?

Our regular weekly vegboxes paired with a suitable size organic meatbox. The meat is carefully packed in insulated packaging to keep cool on your doorstep all day, so it won’t spoil if you’re out. If you’ve never tried our meat before you’re in for a treat - it’s grass-fed and reared to the highest organic standards, properly

hung for full flavour and prepared by our in-house butchers. what’s in the box?

You’ll get your usual weekly seasonal vegbox plus three types of meat to last you through the week. Expect a full flavoured roasting joint for the weekend; beef or pork mince; and easy sausages, chops or diced meat for super simple weeknight meals. From around £25 to feed two people.

a typical week’s eating A week’s worth of food with an organic meat + vegbox. sunday Roast chicken, potatoes and all the trimmings.

thursday Every-last-leek (whatever’s lurking in your box) stir fry with noodles.

monday Creamy chicken and leek risotto.

friday Cheese-topped cottage pie and steamed veg.

tuesday Vegetable curry with rice and spiced carrot salad.

saturday Hot dogs with salad and salsa.

wednesday Sausage stew with greens and mash.

available soon at www.riverford.co.uk

coming soon

tasty milk, contented cows What goes in affects what comes out.

The lynchpin of organic milk production is that it is as natural as possible. Unlike many intensive milk production systems, organic cows graze much of the year on pasture, grown in a holistic farming system where fertility is maintained by crop and livestock rotation, and farmyard manure. There is no routine use of antibiotics and the application of artificial fertilisers to produce the

grass and fodder that the herds eat is not allowed. Most organic cows get a small ration of cattle feed when they are milked to top up their diet and help milk production (it also makes them very happy to walk into the milking stalls!).

Organic rules forbid genetically modified ingredients going into this additional feed, again, unlike in conventional dairy farming. oniony milk?

All these standards might seem respectable enough, but (animal welfare issues aside) there’s little point unless they influence milk quality. However on our farm in Devon we’ve come across a pleasing illustration of how what goes into a cow really can impact what comes out. The Riverford dairy herd gets to eat all the veg that does not quite make the grade for your vegboxes; things like squashed peppers, broken broccoli and dented apples, which they love. However we’ve learned the perils of some rogue onions or garlic getting in; it taints their milk, so much so that it is not useable at all. So, what goes in really can come out!

watch our bucking bovines at www.riverford.co.uk/cows

bucking bovines Spring brings one of our favourite events on the farm. Over the wet winter months the cows are kept under cover for a limited time, partly to protect them from the elements but also to prevent the pasture being destroyed by heavy hooves.

The most hard-nosed spectator would struggle not to smile at the frolicking and cavorting that ensues when the herd goes out onto the spring grass again. You can watch our Devon herd being let out at www.riverford.co.uk/cows.

about how the cows are cared for; visit the dairy to see what happens to the milk once it leaves the cow and how it is made into butter and yoghurt. If you’re lucky you may get to help feed the calves too!

win a day at the dairy in Yorkshire or Devon

the small print Winner will be picked at random. Day to be organised at a date to suit the winner and Riverford Dairy or Acorn Dairy. Prize includes one night’s B&B accommodation for the winner and a friend but not travel costs.

Want to really understand where your milk comes from? We’re offering one lucky customer (and a friend) the chance to come and visit our dairy herd either in Devon or at Acorn Dairy, the family farm that produces our organic milk in Yorkshire. You’ll get to help bring in the herd for milking; tour the farm and learn

milk Fresh and full of flavour. 99p/1l

To enter the competition, tell us which types of yoghurt we sell.

You’ll find the answer on the website.

Email your answer to dairycomp@ riverford.co.uk or go to riverford.co.uk/ comp by Friday 27th April.

yoghurt Made at our own dairy. £1.59/475g

cream Double or clotted, from £1.59/200ml

win a day at the dairy at www.riverford.co.uk/comp

easy cheesy Browse our new cheese shop and find your favourite. new in april Hooray for cheese. Whether you’re after a crumbly, sharp cheddar for a sandwich, want a generous grating of parmesan over your pasta or need some mellow, creamy mozzarella to finish your salad, nothing tops off a meal quite like it.

hard

So it was no great hardship to spend a few waist-expanding months trying out all sorts of stinky, creamy, soft, firm, cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, tangy, mild and all-round totally tasty cheeses to add to our range.

Acorn Dairy brie £5.45/230g Gorsehill Abbey Dairy st eadburgha (camembert-style) £4.45/170g High Weald sussex sipcote soft sheep’s cheese £2.69/100g Wootton Dairy little ryding £5.85/220g

Here are the highlights. We’ll be adding more regional cheeses through the year, so keep an eye on the website.

Greens of Glastonbury double gloucester £2.99/300g Wootton Dairy millstone hard sheep’s cheese £6.95/250g

soft

blue Cropwell Bishop stilton £3.45/200g Soft blue - coming soon

cheddar

continental

Greens of Glastonbury mature cheddar £3.49/300g Greens of Glastonbury smoked cheddar £2.65/250g Godminster wax-coated cheddar truckle £8.95/400g Medium cheddar - coming soon

Parmesan £6.25/200g High Weald Dairy halloumi £3.95/150g Laverstoke buffalo mozzarella (salads) £2.99/125g (5x 25g) Greens of Glastonbury cow’s mozzarella (cooking) £2.99/250g

read more about the range at www.riverford.co.uk/cheese

easter feasts Organic meat for Easter.

Planning meat for your Easter celebration? Go organic, higher welfare and grass-fed for the very best flavour on your plate. Our meat is carefully sourced, reared to the highest standards and RSPCA award-winning. Serve with crispy roast potatoes, steamed green veg and our roasted cauliflower cheese recipe.

classic lamb Early season organic lamb tends to be from Poll Dorset ewes, reared through the winter for Easter. The meat is wonderfully tender - just right for a celebratory roast. Choose from leg or shoulder for a classic Easter feast.

half shoulder £13.45/1.15kg shoulder £20.95/1.8kg half leg £21.45/1.15kg leg £32.95/1.9kg

serving ideas 1. Make rich, full flavoured gravy with Vega Lucia Tinto Tempranillo wine (£6.49).

2. Don’t forget the garlic (£1.55).

Make little cuts in the skin of your lamb joint and poke garlic cloves inside for extra flavour.

3. For a fresh accompaniment that sings of spring, try salsa verde. It’s pretty simple and packs a punch.

Place a crushed garlic clove, 1 tbsp soaked and drained capers, 2 anchovies, a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley and 10 mint leaves in a food processor and blend well (or chop finely by hand). Place in a bowl and add 1 tbsp each of dijon mustard and red wine vinegar. Drizzle in enough olive oil to give a thickish consistency and season well. Serve with roast lamb.

non-meat eaters, try our flamiche (leek pie) recipe online

easter turkey Prefer white meat? You won’t go far wrong with a tender organic turkey.

Good Housekeeping magazine says ours have “firm meat, with a fresh taste and appetising aroma”. Plus, you’ll have plenty of leftovers for sandwiches, pies and pasta dishes.

Follow our simple instructions on how to bone and roll a whole bird and you’ll have succulent, easy-to-carve meat in half the time. You’ll find the instructions on our website at www.riverford.co.uk/ turkey. We’ll deliver your turkey frozen.

a whole bird in less time There’s no need to get up at the crack of dawn to put your turkey in the oven.

quick roasted cauliflower cheese serves 4-6 1 cauliflower, cut into florets 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp caster sugar sea salt + freshly ground black pepper 250g crème fraîche 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 100g gruyère cheese, grated 1 tbsp grated parmesan handful of chopped chives (optional) Preheat the oven to 180°C. Toss the cauliflower in the oil and sugar, season well and roast on a baking tray for 20 mins, or until just cooked, then put in a bowl. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C. Mix the crème fraîche with the mustard and half the gruyère and season. Mix in the cauliflower and transfer to an ovenproof serving dish. Sprinkle with the rest of the gruyère and the parmesan and bake for 10 mins until golden.

Sprinkle with chives (if using).

by Jane Baxter from Everyday and Sunday - Recipes from Riverford Farm

easter puds Fruity, fun-to-make treats for the whole family. simple lemon pudding serves 8 180g unsalted butter, cubed + softened, plus a little extra for greasing grated zest + juice of 3 lemons 270g caster sugar 6 eggs, whites separated from yolks 120g self-raising flour 500ml milk (whole or semi) icing sugar for dusting Use a piece of butter to grease a shallow heatproof baking dish that will just hold 2 litres of liquid. Use a wooden spoon to beat the rest of the softened butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy (your butter must be really soft). Add the lemon zest and gently beat in the egg yolks one by one, then mix in the flour and lemon juice. Gradually stir in the milk. Don’t worry if it looks curdled.

Whisk the eggs whites until light and fluffy and forming soft peaks. Mix a large spoonful of the whites into the mixture, then gently fold in the rest, keeping the air bubbles. The mixture will be sloppy.

Pour into the baking dish and put in a roasting tin large enough to hold it. Pour in just enough hot water to come about

two thirds of the way up the dish. Bake at 160°C for 40-50 mins, until the top is springy and starting to turn golden.

The mixture will have separated to form a spongy top with a lemon curd sauce on the bottom. Remove from the oven and lift the baking dish out of the water.

Leave for 5 mins, then dust with sifted icing sugar to serve. Best served warm but can be served cold. The sauce will thicken on standing.

banana + giant chocolate button cupcakes You’ll need cupcake cases and enthusiastic kids to help make these. Make sure your butter is really soft or it will be too hard to beat (keep it out at room temperature for a good while before you want to use it). makes 20-24 cupcakes 125g unsalted butter, cut into small dice + softened 125g caster sugar 3 eggs 50ml milk 250g self-raising flour 1 level tsp baking powder 1 level tsp ground cinnamon 3 ripe bananas, mashed well (or blitz to a purÊe in a food processor) for the topping: 150g unsalted butter, cut into small dice + very soft 350g icing sugar 50g cocoa 2-4 tbsp warm water montezuma giant chocolate buttons, to decorate Line a couple of muffin tins with the cupcake cases. Preheat the oven to 190°C. In a bowl, use a wooden spoon to cream the butter and sugar together until pale, light and fluffy. Gently fold in the eggs one by one. Sift in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Fold in the bananas until just combined.

Share the mixture between the cupcake cases. Bake for approx 25 mins until just cooked through and turning golden.

Leave in the tin to cool for a few mins, then transfer the cases to a wire rack to cool completely. To make the topping, beat the butter until pale and creamy.

Sift in the icing sugar and cocoa. Add 2 tbsp water and stir together. You may need a little more water (add carefully).

Spoon into an icing bag and pipe onto the cakes, or use a pallet knife to smooth it on freestyle. Decorate with giant Montezuma chocolate buttons (available to order alongside your vegbox).

spring pickings Extra portions of seasonal veg.

purple sprouting broccoli Tender, tasty and easy. £2.49/350g

spring greens Homegrown leafy greens. £1.95/350g

spanish asparagus If you can’t wait for the UK crop! £2.75/250g

rhubarb Vibrant colour and flavour. Coming soon.

spinach Succulent and sweet. £2.29

batavia lettuce Coming soon from our French farm. £1.79

shiitake mushrooms Rich and earthy tasting. £2.95/150g

carrots Grown for flavour. £1.55/kg

cauliflower Good simply roasted or steamed. £1.75

find more online at www.riverford.co.uk/veg

fruit + salad top ups The pick of the crop to add to your box.

apples Perk up your salads and puds. £2.25/750g

fairtrade bananas From farmers we know. £1.75/800g

oranges Sweet, juicy snacking. £2.45/kg

pears Pear and almond tart, anyone? £2.35/750g

unwaxed lemons Use the natural zest in your cooking. 99p/x2

grapefruit Tangy fruit for lazy breakfasts. £2.05/x2

avocado Add creamy texture to salads. £2.49/x2

tomatoes Juicy and flavourful. £2.59/480g

salad pack A mix of tasty leaves. £1.99/150g

see all our fruit at www.riverford.co.uk/fruit

love your larder

Flavourful organic kitchen cupboard staples.

sundried tomatoes Plump and full of sunny flavour. £3.65

extra virgin olive oil In peppery or mellow varieties. £4.69

sweet chilli sauce Hot, sticky and spoton for dipping. £2.65

pimhill muesli Full of fruity apricots and figs. £3.85

organic chocolate Montezuma’s awardwinning bars. £2.09

laydilay mayonnaise Made from organic, free-range eggs. £2.99

ginger + pear chutney Sweet and hot - great with cheese. £2.99

pesto Choose from green or red. £2.99

marmalade Chunky and flavourful. £2.99

new

find the full range at www.riverford.co.uk/cupboard

something to sip on Take a peek at our tempting organic drinks.

proper apple juice From hand-pressed English apples. £3.05

sicilian lemonade A tangy, fizz-free and natural drink. £2.85

elderflower bubbly Beautifully aromatic and refreshing. £3.15

samuel smith’s lager Hoppier than most and full-bodied. £2.59

sheppy’s cider Traditional Somerset refreshment. £2.59

la jara prosecco Semi-sparkling and light. £9.95

viognier Good with spicy Asian food. £9.45

mas de la ville merlot An easy drinking, light red wine. £8.49

quinto arrio rioja A young, light red. £7.95

more drinks at www.riverford.co.uk/drinks

coming soon english asparagus new picnic range new sauces + jams

Ri v

e r f ord

01780 789700 Sacrewell Farm 01803 762059 Wash Farm, Home Farm, Upper Norton Farm

www.riverford.co.uk