recipes inside

march + april

bank holidayfamily eating

spring greens wild garlic asparagus

grow your ownfruit, veg + flowers

springtime seasonal veg

spring eating with

o r g a n i c f o o d w i t h f r e e d e l i v e r y

R iver ford

spring awakeningWe’ve been hard pushed for greens this year and as spring begins its approach, we’re crossing our f ingers for more to f ill the boxes. With a little more sunshine, the soil will soon be warm and inviting enough to encourage next season’s crops. We still have the ‘hungry gap’ to contend with, but with a generous smattering of bank holidays and the chance for an early BBQ with friends, there’s plenty to keep the spirits up.

seasonal heroes

spring greens

purple sprouting broccoli

wild garlic

spanish asparagus

‘grow your own’ boxes

easter food

early bbqs

Our food is seasonal, so not everything is available all the time. But it will taste all the better for it.

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

Graham and Chris Negus trimming leeks for

Sacrewell Farm’s boxes

purple sprouting broccoli standing proud in our Devon fields

the first asparagus arriving from

Pepe in Spain

cutting spring greens at Home Farm

harvesting pak choi at Stockley Farm

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a box for everyonekeep meals interesting and swap between boxes whenever you like

small £12.35Typically 8 varieties with potatoes, carrots and onions every week. A good choice if you’re new to box life - and one of our most popular boxes.

mini fruit + veg £11.85A smaller version of our popular fruit + vegbox, typically 5 easy-eating veg (never potatoes) and 2 fruit varieties.

mini £9.85Typically 7 varieties in smallish portions to keep your meals interesting. You’ll get potatoes, carrots and onions most, but not every week.

medium £15.45Typically 10 varieties with potatoes, carrots and onions every week. A great family standby.

our vegboxes are around 20% cheaper than supermarkets

fruit + veg £16.35A big hit with small and large families alike, typically 7 easy-eating veg (never potatoes) and 3 fruit varieties.

roots + greens £12.25 Typically 7 varieties in generous portions. An excellent value seasonal larder-filler for traditional cooks (try a fortnightly delivery if you’re feeling ultra thrifty). Available until the end of March.

seasons £12.95Avoiding potatoes? You won’t find any here - just 8-10 varieties of fresh seasonal veg.

favourites £13.95Typically 8 varieties of popular veg. Expect tomatoes, broccoli, peppers and mushrooms along with potatoes, carrots and onions.

or make up your own order at www.riverford.co.uk

fruit £10.75Typically 5 fruit varieties. Order on its own or as an ‘add-on’ to a vegbox if you’re a healthy snacker.

salad £10.95Typically 7 varieties for easy-to-prepare light meals. Expect salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber and other seasonal salads.

large £17.95Typically 12 varieties with potatoes, carrots and onions every week. Ideal if you’re feeding a hungry family or love a bit more diversity.

something lighter

spring veg on our farmsGet some relief from those roots with hardy spring greens and the last of the leeks.

spring greens £1.75/350gSpring greens are sown in late summer and survive the winter as young, leafy plants. John Walton at Stockley Farm finds it a struggle to keep the pigeons off his crop in a hard winter, but come spring, the leaves are bursting with flavour and vitality. A bit of hardship and slow growth often helps develop the flavour. Try them stir fried with garlic and parmesan or add steamed spring greens to an omelette, with some chorizo or chilli for extra spice.

leeks £2.65/750gLeeks are an important staple at all our five farms, keeping the boxes full through winter and providing some welcome greenery amid the roots. Peter Richardson’s crop at Home Farm is doing well; he planted different varieties to last through the seasons and the hardier ones are coming into their own right now. Rain splash in the field can wash mud down between the leek’s layers, making them a trial to clean. If you have ever cursed a muddy leek at the sink, take this tip

from a Welshman who used to work at the farm. Insert a knife just above the bottom of the leek and slice up to the top, splitting it in two with the halves still attached at the bottom. You can then wash the mud out under a running tap, shake off the excess water and put the halves back together for slicing. Spring is the last you’ll see of leeks before they return in autumn.

caulif lower £1.59Usually from December to March, cauliflower can be reliably harvested only in mild coastal areas. This winter even the South West was hit by the freezing weather, but they should be plentiful for March and April as the temperature rises. Our cauliflowers are cut by hand by our ‘A team’, a bunch of hardened workers who can sense a cauliflower’s shape and size from five paces. Give cauliflower a new lease of life on the plate by cooking chopped garlic, chilli and oregano in olive oil for a couple of minutes, mixing it with cooked cauliflower and sprinkling with lemon juice. It’s very good deep-fried, too.

watch our weekly recipe videos at www.riverford.co.uk/video

veg heroesThe pick of the seasonal bunch to inspire your early spring cooking.

purple sprouting broccoli £2.49/350g

Until 30 years ago, purple sprouting was the standard, widely available broccoli, before the meteoric rise of green (calabrese) broccoli. It has a stronger flavour and grows well in the colder months of the year. At Upper Norton Farm, Duncan Janaway’s crop took a bit of a beating from the harsh winter weather

but the surviving spears are looking very promising. Nigel Venni is growing a fair amount at Sacrewell Farm too. It is a tricky crop to harvest, as it’s done by hand and you have to pick through the field several times. As with calabrese, it’s good boiled, steamed or stir fried - but don’t let the flower go mushy before the stem is tender. The leaf is tasty too - leave on the spear for cooking or use as an alternative green,

wilted into stews, soups and curries.

wild garlic £1.49/100g

Wild garlic is generally found in woods and country lanes in the spring. Just follow your nose; you’ll smell it before you see it. Every year, Guy’s children earn a bit of pocket money picking wild garlic from the woods on our Devon farm. The mild flavoured leaves always seem to go down well; given the unpredictability of other greens at this time of year they provide some much needed freshness to the boxes. Ramsons, as the Devon locals call wild garlic, may well make several appearances in the boxes this spring. Look out for it, then try out our risotto recipe (generous platefuls of which are what Guy’s children demand as bonus payment).

wild garlicIt’s time to raid our woods for handfuls of bright green leaves.

add extra portions of veg to your order www.riverford.co.uk

psb with mustard + tarragon hollandaiseserves 4400g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmedfor the hollandaise:250g unsalted butter3 egg yolksjuice of 1 lemona pinch of cayenne pepper2 tsp wholegrain mustard1 tsp chopped tarragon1 tsp chopped chivessalt + black pepper

To make the sauce, melt the butter slowly in a pan, then remove from the heat. Put the egg yolks, lemon juice and cayenne in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until slightly thickened, then add the melted butter a little at a time until it is incorporated. The sauce should be thick and glossy. Stir in the mustard, herbs and seasoning. The sauce will keep in a warm place for about an hour. Cook the broccoli in a large pan of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and

refresh in cold water, then dry well. Cook on a ridged grill pan or BBQ, turning occasionally, until slightly charred. Arrange on a serving dish and drizzle over the hollandaise sauce.

wild garlic risottoserves 430g butter1 tbsp olive oil1 onion, finely chopped2 cloves garlic, finely chopped250g risotto rice (arborio)splash white wine1 ltr veg/chicken stock (hot)2 large handfuls wild garlic leaves, roughly chopped50g parmesan, gratedwild garlic flowers, to garnish

Cook the chopped garlic cloves and onion slowly in a little butter and oil for about 10 mins without colouring. Add the rice, turn up the heat and cook until the rice is coated. Season, add the wine and stir until absorbed. Next,

add the stock until the rice is just covered and turn down the heat. Keep at a gentle simmer and add stock gradually, letting it absorb. After about 10 mins stir in the wild garlic leaves, then the remaining stock. After 5 mins, when rice is just cooked but has some bite, add the remaining butter and cheese. Season and serve with more parmesan.

Recipes by Jane Baxter. Find more in the Riverford Farm Cook Book, £12.99.

spanish asparagusPepe, our hang gliding grower in Granada, brings you beautiful asparagus ahead of the UK season.

In recent years we have been working with a small group of growers in Spain, Italy and a few further afield. One of our favourite growers is the bike riding, hang gliding Pepe near Granada, who grows asparagus for our early spring boxes. Guy visited Pepe in January to see the first spears of asparagus poking through the ground.

Pepe is our ideal grower: technically proficient, committed to doing the job well, very reliable and full of character (like the purple tinged spears themselves). His family has been growing asparagus in a fertile valley for many

generations. The crop is irrigated naturally by water from the surrounding mountains. His asparagus will be in your boxes through to late April, before the UK season starts in May.

There’s always the question of whether we should offer Spanish asparagus ahead of the UK season. The reality is that if you want asparagus in early spring (as many people do), it will mostly be airfreighted from Peru. In environmental terms Pepe’s asparagus, trucked from Spain, is much better. It lets us offer you more variety in the boxes at what can be a pretty barren time of year, and we feel proud that our box scheme helps Pepe and his farm.

Asparagus is best kept in the fridge; standing it upright in a little water will help to preserve its life. If you need to trim the end of the stalk, the point where the stalk snaps cleanly is a good guide. You can keep the trimmings to use in stock for asparagus soup or risotto. We like asparagus sprinkled with salt and olive oil and roasted in a hot oven for about 5-7 minutes; it seems to intensify the flavour. You could also steam it or

watch out for uk asparagus in may

roasted asparagus with hazelnut dressingserves 4a bunch of asparagus 75g whole hazelnuts 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp hazelnut/walnut oil 1 tbsp white wine or balsamic vinegar salt + pepper

Toast the hazelnuts in a 180°C oven for about 10 mins, then remove. Place the nuts in a clean tea towel, fold the towel over and rub to remove the skins. Coarsely chop or lightly blitz the nuts in a food processor. Keep to one side. To make the dressing, put the hazelnut oil, half the olive oil, vinegar and seasoning in a bowl, whisk and set aside. Place the asparagus on a baking tray and toss with the remaining olive oil and seasoning. Roast at 220°C for about 12 mins until lightly browned and tender. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle over the dressing. Sprinkle over the hazelnuts and serve.

boil the spears in a deep pan of boiling water for 2-4 minutes, ideally with the stems in the water and the heads in the steam above to avoid them going mushy. They don’t need much more than salt, and maybe some butter and lemon. And they’re great for breakfast dipped into a soft-boiled egg.

Pepe showing Guy his fertile Spanish fields

box to growFeeling green f ingered? Give growing a go with our ‘boxes to grow’.

top up your harvest at www.riverford.co.uk

Whether you’re a gardening novice or a seasoned pro, our boxes to grow give everything you need for a taste of the good life. We’ll deliver high quality seedling plants in a box, along with a detailed planting guide to get you started. With a bit of help from Mother Naure, you’ll soon be wallowing in homegrown produce. We’ll deliver during the Easter Holidays - we recommend getting your order in early so you don’t miss out.

about our seedlingsThe seedlings in our boxes to grow come from Delfland, who also supply us at the farm. Delfland is a family-run business, with husband and wife team John and Jill at the helm. John has over 30 years’ experience in raising plants. We put our collective heads together to choose varieties for success and flavour that you’ll be able to grow at home.

Veg available for delivery 11th-16th April; herbs and flowers 18th-23rd April. Find out more online now.

choose fromveg (small £19.45, large £25.95)

a mix of seedlings, potted herbs, seeds and potatoes

herbs £17.95

a mix of potted herbs

flowers £18.45

a selection of seeds and seedlings to grow your own cutting garden

everything we grow + sell is organic www.riverford.co.uk

easter eatingGather friends and family for a celebratory roast and crowd-pleasing pudding.

starterroasted asparagus with smoked salmon + lemon dressing

asparagus £2.75/250gloch fyne smoked salmon £9.49/200glemons £0.99/x2

Serve ready sliced, naturally pale-skinned salmon from the Shetland Isles with Pepe’s lovingly grown asparagus. Finish with chunks of lemon from our grower Ginés in Andalucía.

mainroast turkey with wild garlic pesto + seasonal veg

turkey £78.59/7.5kg 15% off

Think turkey’s just for Christmas? We’ve given it a springtime twist with fresh wild garlic pesto, one of the brand new recipes from our upcoming cook book. Good Housekeeping magazine says our turkeys have “firm meat, with a fresh taste and appetising aroma” - try organic turkey for your Easter feast with 15% off (turkeys will be sent out frozen).

everything we grow + sell is organic

www.riverford.co.uk

lamb roast from £12.69

Early season lamb is tender with a mild flavour. Choose from legs, shoulders, or, if you really want to impress, a french trimmed lamb rack.

beef roasts from £12.95

Our beef is from traditional grass fed herds in Devon. Well hung and packed full of flavour. Choose from sirloin, topsides and fore rib joints

or... wild garlic frittata with pesto + seasonal veg (v)

wild garlic £1.49/100geggs £1.95/half dozen

pudding

apple, orange + dried apricot crumble

apples from £2.45oranges £2.45/1kgcream from £1.59

A new take on a classic pud. If you’re feeling daring, apple and banana works well too. Serve with a liberal dousing of cream or custard.

apple, orange + dried apricot crumble serves 6-8

8 dessert apples, peeled, cored + cut into 1cm dice1 orange, peeled + divided into segments (or diced)juice + grated zest of 1 orange100g dried apricots, roughly chopped60g dates, roughly chopped60g light soft brown sugar

for the crumble topping:175g plain flour

125g butter100g caster sugar60g rolled oats

To make the topping, put the flour and butter in a food processor and whiz until the mixture has a fine consistency. Remove and place in a bowl. Add the sugar and oats and rub together with your fingertips so the mixture is slightly lumpy and not dry.

Mix the apples and orange with all the remaining ingredients and place in an ovenproof dish. Top with the crumble

mixture and bake in an oven preheated to 150°C for 45 minutes, until the fruit is tender and the topping golden brown.

for the bbqbbq meatbox £29.95packed with favourites like chicken pieces, sausages and burgers

veg for kebabs from £1.49raid your box or buy individual portions of courgettes, mushrooms, peppers and onion

on the sidesalad box £10.95lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and other seasonal salads

riverford sweet chilli sauce £2.65/240mlmade with our own chillies - hot, sweet and sticky!

cucumber pickle £2.39 20% off for Marchpacked with our award-winning mini cucumbers

to drinkluscombe soft drinks from £1.55 choose from St Clements, Sicilian lemonade or ginger beer

heron valley juice from £3.05 find an apple juice to suit your taste - naturally sweet, sharp, or mixed with ginger or orange

see organic wine + beer at www.riverford.co.uk

bank holiday bbqsRoyal weddings, Easter and bank holidays galore. Sounds like the ideal excuse for an early BBQ - just pray for some sunshine (our crops need it too!).

veg + fruit boxes from

mini vegbox £9.85mini fruit + vegbox £11.85small vegbox £12.35medium vegbox £15.45large vegbox £17.95fruit + vegbox £16.35roots + greens vegbox £12.25seasons vegbox £12.95favourites vegbox £13.95salad box £10.95fruit box £10.75fruit box for work £22.95

meat boxes from

small meatbox £51.95large meatbox £69.95new quick + easy meatbox £29.95new bbq box £29.95winter warmer £35.95chicken box £65.49half lamb box £75.99nothing but meat box £51.95

plants from

box to grow - small veg £19.45box to grow - large veg £25.95box to grow - herbs £17.95box to grow - flowers £18.45

veg from

aubergines x2 £2.49 asparagus 250g £2.75

savoy cabbage £1.45calabrese broccoli 500g £1.95purple sprouting broccoli 350g £2.49cauliflower £1.59carrots 1kg £1.55carrots 2kg £2.95courgettes x3 £2.25leeks 750g £2.65mushrooms 200g £1.49mushrooms - portobello 200g £1.75onions 1kg £1.95onions 500g £1.25parsnips 1kg £2.45parsnips 2kg £3.65mixed peppers x3 (min. 2 colours) £2.95red pepper x2 £1.95ramiro peppers 2 pack £2.25baking potatoes 5kg £4.95baking potatoes x6 £2.45baking potatoes x3 £1.45potatoes 1kg £1.45potatoes 2kg £2.45white potatoes 5kg £4.49spring greens 350g £1.75swede 1kg £1.49wild garlic 100g £1.49

salad herbs + spices from

salad bag £6.45avocado x2 £2.49avocado x4 £4.49celery £1.95cucumber £1.75dried garlic 3 bulbs £1.45ginger 100g £1.25

pricesWe grow and deliver from your local Riverford farm. There are a few small differences in our range and prices at each farm (this f lexibility helps us pay our growers a fair price) - please check www.riverford.co.uk for details.

lettuce £1.85alfalfa sprouted seeds 100g £1.45mixed sprouted seeds 227g £1.45tomatoes 750g £3.25cherry tomatoes 250g £1.85cherry tomatoes 450g £2.95tomatoes 480g £2.45watercress 100g £1.95

fruit from

fruit bag £6.45apples 1.5kg £3.95apples 750g £2.45bananas 1kg £1.99grapefruit x2 £1.95lemons x2 £0.99lemons x6 £1.99oranges 1kg £2.45pears 750g £2.55pears 1.5kg £4.25kiwi x6 £2.25

dairy, milk + eggs from

milk semi 1l £0.99milk semi 2l* £1.89milk skimmed 1l £0.99milk skimmed 2l* £1.89milk whole 1l £0.99milk whole 2l* £1.89eggs mixed - half dozen £1.95riverford clotted cream 250g £2.75double cream 250ml £1.59acorn double cream 284ml* £1.39acorn single cream 284ml* £1.09riverford butter 250g £1.95acorn butter 250g* £1.79greens cheddar 350g £3.95cropwell bishop stilton 250g e £4.45greens double gloucester 350g £3.45cheese - st eadburgha 170g min £4.45acorn brie 230g* £4.95buffalo mozzarella 25g x5 £2.99parmesan 200g £5.49yoghurt - fat free 475g £1.55yoghurt - whole milk 475g £1.59

chilled from

cooked sliced ham 250g £6.65smoked ham - thinly sliced 150g £4.65pastrami 150g £4.65sliced roast beef 150g £4.65smoked salmon 200g £9.49soup of the month 600ml £2.99soup - vegetable + pesto 600ml £2.99soup - chicken + vegetable 600ml £3.19beanie burger - mushroom 100g x2 £2.35beanie burger - nut 100g x2 £2.35beanie burger - spicy 100g x2 £2.35tofu natural 250g £2.35

bread - norton farm from

town mill - malted bloomer 800g £2.19town mill - pure rye 800g £2.79town mill - small sourdough 400g £2.19town mill - small spelt 400g £2.79town mill - white batch (soft crust) 400g £1.69town mill - workers white 800g £2.19town mill - wholemeal bloomer 800g £2.19town mill - 3 seeded bloomer 800g £2.79town mill - cheese + walnut 400g £2.59town mill - country cob 400g £1.89town mill - tomato + olive focaccia 500g £2.75

bread - wash farmfreshly baked bread - available in some areas, check the website for details from £1.69

kitchen pantry from

pesto rosso £2.99pesto genovese £2.99sundried tomatoes £3.65olive oil - italian extra virgin 500ml £4.45olive oil - italian extra virgin dolce 500ml £4.45olive oil - italian extra virgin dolce 2 litre £12.99riverford banana chutney 340g £2.99riverford ploughmans pickle 340g £2.99riverford cucumber pickle 340g £2.99doverhouse chutney 340g £2.99mayonnaise 250g £2.99sweet chilli sauce 240ml £2.65pimhill oatcakes 150g £2.59

rude health muesli 1kg £5.49pimhill muesli 1kg £3.85pimhill porridge oats 850g £2.45chocolate - dark 100g £2.09chocolate - milk 100g £2.09chocolate - white 100g £2.09chocolate - giant milk buttons 180g £2.29

soft drinks from

florestacoffee single estate - beans 250g £3.95 coffee single estate - ground 250g £3.95

heron valleyapple juice naturally sharper 75cl £3.05apple juice naturally sweeter 75cl £3.05 apple + ginger juice75cl £3.05 apple + orange juice 75cl £3.05

luscombest clements 74cl £2.65 sicilian lemonade 74cl £2.65 bottle case (24) ginger beer hot 32cl £1.55 £33.49ginger beer cool 32cl £1.55 £33.49

oakwoodcox apple juice 1l £3.25 fiesta apple juice 1l £3.25

wine from

white bottle case (6)mas de la ville chardonnay £8.45 £45.65la jara prosecco frizzante £9.19 £49.65vega lucia blanco airen £6.15 £33.25la jara pinot grigio bianco £9.19 £49.65marigny-neuf sauvignon blanc £11.49 £62.05gavi docg £12.79 £69.09

rosévega lucia garnacha £6.15 £33.25mas de la ville gard rosé £8.45 £45.65marigny-neuf pinot noir rosé £11.49 £62.05

redquinto arrio rioja £7.15 £38.65ott tinto de navarra £7.15 £38.65mognon contadino £8.95 £48.35marigny-neuf pinot noir £11.49 £62.05

mas de la ville merlot £8.45 £45.65

mixed - all red £46.95mixed - red + white £42.35mixed - all white £50.89mixed - white + rosé £47.65

beer + cider from

bottle case (12)ale - samuel smiths 55cl £2.45 £26.45lager - samuel smiths 12x 55cl £2.45 £26.45cider medium - sheppys 12x 50cl £2.45 £26.45

kitchen kit from

recipe binder 2011 £2.25riverford long handled cotton shopper £2.05eco cool safe - large £95.95eco cool safe - medium £85.15eco cool safe - small £76.25riverford farm cook book £12.99riverford cool bag £2.69eco-cool blanket £3.95

Minimum order £12.50 or £25 on meat. See our full range at www.riverford.co.uk.

*Only available at Home Farm

www.riverford.co.uk free delivery

01565 723506 Stockley Farm01780 789700 Sacrewell Farm01803 762059 Wash Farm, Home Farm + Upper Norton Farm

coming soon‘grow your own’ boxesour new cook book in Maycrème fraîche coming from the Riverford Dairy

Ri v e r f ord