Fruit & Vegetables news

• Squash, chilli & Brussels sprout spelt bowl

  17-12-2019 10:13
  A healthy and colourful warm spelt salad dressed with a zingy citrus dressing. Riverford's slow grown and hand harvested Brussels sprouts are used in two different ways - roasted and raw. Roasting intensifies their flavour and natural sweetness; raw adds crunch and freshness.Adding three whole garlic cloves into the spelt may seem a hefty amount, but the flavour mellows considerably as they cook.
  
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• Lemon & caper beef escalopes with celeriac

  06-12-2019 14:29
  Simmering and frying celeriac imparts aromatics from the water and controls the browning in the pan. Finishing it with butter helps it colour and adds a nutty flavour. Try using a sharp knife to peel the gnarly roots, a veg peeler should do for the rest
  
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• Baked celeriac with spiced quinoa, kale & hazelnuts

  22-10-2019 12:35
  You can roast a celeriac in chunks, but it can go a bit mushy. Baking it whole takes a bit longer, but the flesh stays firm as the heat and salt draw away moisture. Cut into steak-like pieces, it makes for a toothsome centrepiece. Although this dish seems complete, it is perfect as part of a veggie or vegan Christmas dinner with all the trimmings – the quinoa will cope with a good vegan gravy. You may want to remove the cardamom pods and cinnamon before mixing everything together; some peo
  
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• Vegan christmas pudding & pear mess

  22-10-2019 12:23
  The viscous water from tinned chickpeas has enough body to be whisked into a foam, allowing the most unlikely of desserts to become vegan. You need to invest some good time for whisking to ensure that the meringues don’t collapse in the oven. The smaller the meringues you make, the more stable they tend to be.
  The pears are easy to prepare ahead of time. If you have perfectly ripe pears you could do this recipe without poaching them first. The chocolate sauce needs to be made just before s
  
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• Smashed potatoes with onion & sage

  22-10-2019 12:17
  A twist on traditional roasties. Squashing the spuds creates lots of edges and surface area that will crisp up in the roasting tray. We’ve added sage and onion, reminiscent of a classic Christmas stuffing.
  
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• Rice pudding with roast apple compote & boozy prunes

  22-10-2019 11:53
  Wipe away grim memories of school dinners; this rice pudding is a luxury affair. And yes, the skin is the best bit, to be fought over, not feared! We’ve invited it to the Christmas table with spiced apples and boozy dried fruit. Blistering the apples in the oven deepens the flavour and sweetness; apart a pinch of spice, they need nothing else.
  
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• Scrambled tofu on toast with tomatoes & spinach

  22-10-2019 09:36
  Unlike scrambled eggs, where low and slow is best, you want to cook your tofu on a galloping heat. It tastes all the better if it gets a little colour in the pan.
  Far from being strong and pungent, black garlic has a deep, savoury taste. If you want to mimic real scrambled egg, you can also use black salt; it isn’t always easy to find, but has a sulphurous, eggy taste to it.
  
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• Potato & mushroom persillade with poached eggs

  22-10-2019 09:24
  It may look simple, but the key to this dish hangs on a few precise elements. The potatoes need to be more waxy than floury, to hold their shape when frying, and you need to remove as much starch and water as you can to get them to brown well. It also pays to cook the mushrooms and the potatoes separately as it is difficult to get colour on either if the pan is too crowded. The persillade is brought to life by the heat of the pan at the end; this takes the raw edge away from the garlic, and open
  
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• Kefir pancakes with baked plums

  22-10-2019 09:14
  Based around a traditional Russian recipe called oladi, these kefir pancakes have a slight sour tang that works perfectly with sweet fruit. The baked plums are a brilliant partner in late autumn, but the pancakes would happily pair with strawberries and soft summer fruits when the sun is shining.
  
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• Keffir pancakes with baked plums

  22-10-2019 09:14
  Based around a traditional Russian recipe called oladi, these kefir pancakes have a slight sour tang that works perfectly with sweet fruit. The baked plums are a brilliant partner in late autumn, but the pancakes would happily pair with strawberries and soft summer fruits when the sun is shining.
  
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• Bircher overnight oats

  22-10-2019 09:01
  Bircher oats can best be described as a cold, fruity porridge. The oats and apple are steeped in liquid overnight, plumping and softening. It means that breakfast can be pulled, fully formed, from the fridge in the morning. You can add a little extra milk before serving, depending on your preferred consistency. Top with whatever fresh fruit is at its best. If you forget to soak the mix overnight, you can still get a similar result by soaking for 20 mins or so in the morning; it won’t have
  
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• Mushroom, lentil & red wine wellington

  21-10-2019 16:47
  An ideal veggie centrepiece to your Christmas feast. The cooking is simple and speedy, but you need to give the filling time to cool - it makes working with the pastry much easier. If practical, it’s worth getting all the elements ready the day before. It gives them time to cool, leaving you to just wrap and bake on Christmas morning. It’s easily made vegan by using vegan pastry and brushing the top with a little oil in place of the egg.
  
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• Pear, parsnip & red cabbage slaw

  21-10-2019 16:41
  A selection of raw winter veg. Treat it as a slaw over the festive period, serve it as a salad alongside cold cuts, or extend into a quick lunch by adding some cooked lentils and toasted nuts to the mix. If you put it anywhere near roast beef, then consider adding a dab of horseradish.
  
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• Carrots & clementine in a bag

  21-10-2019 12:37
  A theatrical technique that seals in the flavour and lets the veg cook in its own moisture. You’ll need baking parchment and 3 bulldog clips. You could use a dash of mulled cider instead of water.
  
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• Portobello mushroom ragù & spaghetti

  17-10-2019 11:32
  This is a vegan take on a traditional Italian ragù. The earthy portobello mushrooms add depth and a wonderful savoury flavour. This sauce can also be used in other recipes, like a lentil and mushroom pie, or stuffed roasted squash.
  
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• Courgette & sheep cheese pasta with gremolata

  17-10-2019 10:00
  Given a low heat and a little time, courgettes collapse into a chunky mass, good for whizzing into soups or piling on toast. Here they’re combined with sheep’s cheese and a splash of water to create a simple, creamy sauce.Gremolata is a vibrant Italian garnish with three easy ingredients; parsley, lemon zest and garlic. Preserved lemons add a twist here. You only need the rind, as the flesh is bitter when preserved. The rind is sweeter and saltier than fresh lemons; add a little, tas
  
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• Root vegetable & borlotti cobbler

  14-10-2019 10:05
  A cobbler can be a sweet or savoury dish, with a pastry or dumpling baked topping. Our winter version is packed with seasonal roots and nutty borlotti beans, and uses a cheese and herb cobbler dough. Spring greens add a flash of colour for the side dish. Root veg tends to vary in size so we’ve listed the chopped weight.
  
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• Mediterranean traybake with garlic tortillas

  11-10-2019 19:37
  Roasting vegetables really brings out their flavour, especially with the added garlic and rosemary. Garlic tortillas to dip into the rich tomato sauce complete this vibrant vegan plateful. Try making this with other veg spending on the season; squash, new potatoes, courgette, or aubergine would all work well too.
  
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• Gnocchi & seasonal greens with brown butter

  11-10-2019 15:13
  Brown butter is a thing of beauty. It involves cooking the milk solids in the butter to achieve a nutty caramel taste. You can add it to any recipe that requires melted butter for a more complex and interesting flavour; anything from hollandaise sauce to cupcakes.People too often cut away and waste the stalks when cooking Calabrese broccoli. They are just as delectable as the main floret. The trick is to cut your florets with a long tail of stalk still attached. Trim the stalk so that it cooks a
  
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• Honey baked quinces

  11-10-2019 13:03
  Quinces tend to vary in their cooking time, depending on size and age. If you have the time and patience, a long, slow roast in the oven assures a tender result and deep sienna colour. They can be problematic if cooked in a cake or pudding, as the dessert can rise or set before the fruit begins to yield. Better to serve them on the side, with plenty of the sweet syrup from the roasting pan. Ideal with a simple Madeira cake or baked custard.
  
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• Quinces poached in white wine

  11-10-2019 12:34
  The spices echo the fruit’s own fragrance, but aren’t essential; you could simply use the wine and sugar. These are ideal served as part of a dessert or used in a savoury context, alongside some roast pork or salty cheddar.
  
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• Provençal baked mackerel

  10-10-2019 20:09
  The Mediterranean diet is supposedly one of the healthiest in the world. Luckily, it’s also one of the tastiest! This colourful representation is a real treat - try with a glass of rosé for that South of France holiday feeling.
  
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• Moroccan carrot & chickpea bake

  10-10-2019 19:19
  This is a baked take on a tagine-style mix of spiced vegetables, chickpeas and tomatoes. Any leftovers can be easily reheated the next day. Instead of wheat couscous, we’re packing in an extra portion of veg by using cauliflower couscous, making this gluten free as well.
  
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• Roast leek and pain de sucre warm salad

  10-10-2019 16:40
  This recipe was sent to us by one of our customers, Paul from London, who noticed that we didn't have Pain de Sucre recipes on our website. As he's come up with his own rather tasty salad, he thought our other customers might enjoy it too. Thank you Paul!The recipe for this warm salad was inspired by the classic French dish of chicory, Roquefort and walnuts. The potatoes are not essential but make the dish a more substantial meal and Marfona are an ideal variety. Caws Cenarth Perl Las is the per
  
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• Lentil dhal & tarka fried onions with spinach

  10-10-2019 15:59
  Frying the onions and spices separately and adding to a dhal at the end of cooking is a technique known as ‘tarka’. Cook your onions on a higher heat than feels normal, so they take on a golden colour. Cook the lentils on a low heat; too hot and they will stick to the base of the pan as they absorb water and thicken. Curry powder can be quite mild but, if you’re unsure how spicy you’d like it, add two-thirds then the rest halfway through cooking, to taste.
  
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• Courgette & lentil bake

  10-10-2019 11:50
  Like pasta sheets in a lasagne, slices of courgette separate a protein-enriched tomato sauce. Depending on the size and shape of your dish, you may need to do a little patchwork with the courgette slices so they completely cover each layer of lentils.Instead of a standard white sauce, we’ve opted for a rich ricotta topping. If you have the time, allow the bake to sit for 10 minutes or so before tucking in; the topping sets and firms up a little as it cools.
  
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• Chard & white bean winter minestrone

  10-10-2019 10:42
  There are no strict rules for a minestrone; as a veg-based stew, it can track the seasons. Where the debate comes is whether it should contain pasta, rice or pulses. All are justified; we’ve chosen mild, creamy cannellini beans for this wintery version. Rather than cooking the garlic and rosemary into the dish, you’re chopping it finely and adding it raw as a garnish at the end. Raw garlic can be quite potent, so add as much or as little of the clove as you’d like, to taste.
  
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• Moroccan spiced lamb pie with courgettes

  09-10-2019 19:11
  Try to find proper, all-butter pastry and avoid the supermarket ones if you can. Make sure it is cooked through; check the bottom and if it needs longer in the oven, turn the heat lower and give it a few more mins. The residual heat should cook it through without burning the top of the crust. Cook your courgettes in batches if your pan isn’t big enough to fit them in a single layer. Keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. As there are chilli flakes in the pie, add fresh ch
  
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• Mirin glazed carrots & crispy tofu

  09-10-2019 18:21
  In this Japanese inspired recipe, you cook the carrots in mirin, a sweet rice wine. The liquid cooks away to almost nothing and reduces to a shiny glaze. Only add a splash more water if it looks like the carrots will completely dry out before the 10 mins of cooking. Once the lid is off, you want the carrots to catch on the edges and take on some colour; it all adds to the flavour.
  
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• Spiced squash & butterbeans

  09-10-2019 17:36
  When you fry the squash and peppers, it’s good to get some colour on them, to add extra flavour to the dish. Keep an eye on them and stir now and again to stop them catching too much.
  
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• Tofu tom yum with veg ‘noodles’

  09-10-2019 16:54
  This is our light but sustaining take on a traditional Asian dish, with ribbons of veg and mushrooms, lightly simmered in an aromatic lemongrass and miso broth with crunchy sprouts and marinated tofu strips. The dish is finished with a sriracha, a sauce made from chilli pepper, garlic, vinegar, a little sugar and salt (named after a city in Thailand where it originated).
  
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• Pork, fennel & cider meatballs

  09-10-2019 16:15
  Fennel and pork is a classic combination; the anise flavours are mellowed by cooking. Cider adds extra depth and sweetness. Using sausages instead of making meatballs saves time, making this a quick supper option.
  
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• Cajun pork escalopes with sweet pepper quinoa

  09-10-2019 15:43
  Escalopes are thin cuts of lean meat and, therefore, take little time to cook in the pan. This makes them perfect for spice mixes as they aren’t on the heat long enough to burn the spices and turn them bitter. Cayenne can have a chilli kick to it, if you are feeling cautious, use just half and add more at the end to taste.
  
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• Cumin roasted vegetables with wild rice & tahini

  09-10-2019 14:37
  Nutty red rice, cumin roasted vegetables and tahini dressing provide a bright and nourishing Middle Eastern-inspired plateful. Red rice keeps its colour when cooked and is richer in nutrients than white rice, it also has a pleasing bite to it.
  
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• Chicken goulash with mashed potato

  09-10-2019 14:07
  A goulash is Hungarian comfort food. Traditionally a slow-cooked dish, we’ve adapted it to make a lighter, swifter meal. Caraway and paprika are a must, but add the cayenne to your taste; it can vary in strength, so start with a pinch, taste, and add more towards the end if you want more heat.
  
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• Chicken cacciatore with butterbean mash

  09-10-2019 13:04
  This dish is a traditional Italian stew. It’s commonly cooked slowly using chicken legs. For a speedier meal, we’ve used leaner breast meat instead: the stew goes on first and the chicken gets added midway. In true Italian fashion, there is endless debate about what wine to use. We’ve opted for white, out of preference rather than any regional loyalties. You can try with red if you prefer. Gently frying the rosemary and lemon zest before adding the beans to the pan helps to rel
  
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• Spiced squash & lentil broth with warm pittas

  09-10-2019 12:45
  Squash can seem daunting to prepare and cook quickly, but a good veg peeler will easily take off theskin, then use a dessert or teaspoon to quickly scoop out the seeds. Keeping the cubes of squash small helps them cook a bit quicker. Tempering spices (quickly frying in hot oil) releases their natural flavours. You want the seeds to pop slightly, but take care the oil doesn’t get too hot, or the spices will burn and taste bitter. If sensitive to heat, hold back some chilli flakes; you can t
  
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• Frying pan celeriac gratin

  08-10-2019 21:18
  Traditional gratins are usually baked in the oven for a long time, but we’re speeding things up by cooking it all in a frying pan. Seasonal celeriac, leek and juicy portobello mushrooms are tossed in a cheese and crème fraîche sauce. As it's rich, this needs nothing more than some simple shredded greens on the side.
  
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• Mushroom & leek tart with apple salad

  08-10-2019 21:05
  Pastry needs a high heat to rise properly so get your oven up to temperature before you start; it helps set the butter and flour quickly. The mushrooms will release a lot of moisture when you start frying them; stick with it as this will gradually disappear. The pan will still be hot when adding the egg into the mixture, so it may scramble slightly. Keep stirring, to prevent it solidifying.
  
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• Moroccan spinach, sweet potato & lentil stew

  08-10-2019 20:38
  Based on a Moroccan harira soup; a delicately spiced vegetable dish filled with lentils and chickpeas, with a nut and herb garnish. The dish is lifted by a good squeeze of lemon juice, so don’t be shy with it.The lentils are the ingredient that takes the longest to cook, so they need to get in the pan as soon as possible. The sweet potato and garlic can then be added as soon as they’re chopped.
  
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• Parsnip, date & walnut spelt with Wootton White

  08-10-2019 18:02
  Parsnips are brilliant roasted and they don’t have to be confined to a side dish for meat. Here they’re the star in this Middle Eastern spiced dish, with a few of their foodie friends (honey, dates and walnuts), topped with tangy Wootton White: a British-made, feta-style cheese which is also suitable for vegetarians.Harissa, a herb and chilli spice blend, can be quite hot and does vary in strength. If sensitive to heat, start with half, you can always add more later.
  
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• White bean chilli with salsa

  08-10-2019 17:43
  A white bean chilli seems curious as we are so used to chillies being dark, rich and laden with kidney beans. This is a simple, light version with the same key spicing. The salsa is the star of the show and brings classic notes of tomato and pepper for a fully rounded dish. Chilli heat can vary, there is powdered and fresh included. Add each cautiously, to your taste.
  
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• Curried broccoli quinoa

  08-10-2019 17:12
  This is a protein-rich dish using curried quinoa topped with soft-boiled eggs. Peeling the eggs while they’re still warm makes it a bit easier.
  You could also replace the broccoli with spinach, kale, spring greens or broad beans when in season.
  
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• Spiced lamb flatbreads with tzatziki salad

  08-10-2019 15:45
  The lamb flatbreads are both moreish and Moorish. When you transfer the cooled lamb into the breads make sure you scrape in all the fat too; it will carry plenty of flavour and warm spicing with it. The dough is pretty well behaved and doesn’t require laborious kneading like a bread dough; a few minutes is fine. If it feels too wet and sticky as you knead, lightly dust your hands with flour and continue until it feels workable. If it feels too dry, wet your hands and continue working the m
  
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• Spiced oca with spinach & dressed lentils

  08-10-2019 15:03
  Oca, otherwise known as New Zealand yams, are tubers that look like gnarly radishes. They have a distinct lemon taste which lessens when cooked; they can also be eaten raw in salads. To prepare them, soak first to loosen the dirt. Then scrub well with a brush; there’s no need to peel.Dry them with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper before coating in the spices. They’re best with a little bite, so check them after 15 mins in the oven.
  
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• Roasted squash, blue cheese & leek risotto with walnuts

  08-10-2019 13:08
  Roasting squash enhances its natural sweetness. Stirring the rice for a couple of minutes before adding liquid opens the grains so they absorb the wine and stock. Leaving the risotto to stand at the end, stirring in the butter and cheese, is known as the ‘mantecura’ in Italian. Both techniques help to create a traditional creamy risotto. Everyone has their preference as to the texture of the dish, but most will agree it shouldn't be too dry or stiff. Finishing off with toasted walnut
  
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• Cauliflower quinoa with spiced almonds

  08-10-2019 12:58
  This is a vibrant dish with saffron-tinged cauliflower and juicy clementines. The spiced almonds really lift the dish but be careful when toasting the spices; burning them will give a bitter flavour.Slicing the cauliflower means it only needs a small amount of liquid to cook. Cut through the centre of the floret stalks, so the sliced pieces hold together.
  
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• Black bean & quinoa chilli with avocado salad

  08-10-2019 10:28
  Quinoa has been much heralded in the last few years. It cooks with little fuss and is high in nutrients, vitamins, fibre and proteins. It has a very mild, nutty taste and makes a great bass note to a whole ensemble of ingredients. Combined with the beans, it makes this dish filling without needing rice on the side.
  
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• Braised sprouts, raw kale & almonds

  02-10-2019 13:20
  The sprouts take on a little sharpness and sweetness from the wine as it reduces in the pan. Keeping the kale raw adds a slight minerally bitterness and a bit of texture. The almonds are easily replaced by hazelnuts, pine nut or chestnuts.
  
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• Mustard pork escalopes with parsnips & greens

  02-10-2019 12:47
  Lemon and mustard pork escalopes accompanied by parsnips roasted with apples and greens.Escalopes are cuts of lean meat, beaten flat for swift cooking. Fry them in a very hot pan; they don’t take long and you want as much colour on them as possible, it adds to the flavour.The swiftest way to shred any leafy greens is to stack the leaves on top of each other and roll them into a tight cigar shape. Then slice them widthways, as finely as you can.
  
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