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Dr Alan Desmond is a Consultant Gastroenterologist and an Advisory Board Member of Plant-based Health Professionals UK, a charity that educated doctors, health professionals and members of the public on the health benefits of a plant-based diet. 

Certified in both Gastroenterology and General Internal Medicine, Alan completed his specialist training in Cork, Dublin and Oxford. He has years of experience in diagnosing and treating patients with digestive problems; including coeliac disease, diverticular disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Originally from Blarney in County Cork, Ireland, he now lives with his wife and children in Devon, in the South West of England.

Alan really enjoys cooking and eating a varied, whole food, plant-based diet. He is a member of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London. He has published several influential research papers in the fields of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome and he has spoken at numerous plant-based medical conferences.

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    • Health
    • Meat

    How plant-based diets reduce disease

    At what age should I start eating a healthy diet to reduce my risk of cancer? The answer may surprise you, writes gut health specialist Dr Alan Desmond.

    By Alan Desmond - 22nd May 2019

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Latest posts

    • Eating & drinking
    • Recipes
    • Food waste

    Getting into a pickle

    Fermenting and pickling are the perfect ways to preserve the end of the year’s harvest – read our chef’s tips for green tomato chutney, pickled chillies and more.

    By The Riverford Field Kitchen - 20th November 2019

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    • The big interview
    • Organics
    • Eating & drinking

    Eating and ethics

    On the eve of opening her newest pub, Geetie Singh-Watson talks sustainable sourcing, gender equality and the secret behind running 'a bloody good inn'.

    By Nina Pullman - 14th November 2019

    0
    • Local sourcing
    • Farming

    Art ‘from the farm, of the farm’

    Becky Marshall meets artist Wendy Howarth who created a new series of paintings using Riverford vegetables as bases for ink and the farm as inspiration.

    By Becky Marshall - 14th November 2019

    0
    • News from the farm
    • Soil

    Record rainfall as winter starts early

    We have had 19 inches of rain since 1 September; half our annual average and more than double the same period last year.

    By Guy Singh-Watson - 14th November 2019

    0

  • Five best Christmas sides

    Transform your festive veg from simple to stunning with our five best Christmas sides recipes.

    By Becky Marshall - 14th November 2019

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    • Eating & drinking
    • Flexitarianism

    Seaganism, seaweed and seacuturie are top trends

    Top food trends of 2019 have been unveiled with ingredients from the sea, celery juice and unusual grains all gaining interest.

    By Nina Pullman - 12th November 2019

    2

Articles from other authors

Getting into a pickle

Fermenting and pickling are the perfect ways to preserve the end of the year’s harvest – read our chef's top tips to make green tomato chutney, fermented green…

0 comments / Eating & drinking

Eating and ethics

When Geetie Singh opened the UK’s first organic pub in 1998, Tony Blair was Prime Minister, Britney Spears was in the charts and a new website called Google…

0 comments / The big interview

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  • What are your most important considerations when buying food? There are many things to consider when deciding what food to buy and where from, including health, taste, and increasingly, sustainability and the environment. According to @soilassociation's latest consumer attitudes research, many of the long-term drivers in attitudes towards food and the choices people make are consistent, including health consciousness, convenience, value and taste. But where we are seeing a real shift is how more and more people are considering a wide range of environmental and sustainability factors, which is great news, given the climate emergency we find ourselves in. The Soil Association's research puts these factors into three sections: - emergent (upcoming, and likely to impact the mainstream soon), - dominant (widely understood and acknowledged) - declining (largely loosing relevance). Swipe left to see their chart of where each factor currently sits, with the likes of palm oil and dairy reduction in the dominant section. As organic farmers, we're really pleased to see pesticides and biodiversity as emerging considerations: bee and insect numbers are declining at a worrying rate, and they are integral to future food production. How does this chart relate to the considerations you make when buying food? Which are most important to you and influence your buying decisions? We'd love to know.
  • RECIPE - Squash, Borlotti & Barley Beanpot ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is such a hearty and tasty bowlful, with lots of different tastes and textures. Frying capers adds an extra flavour pop but be careful when you cook them, they may spit! Capers are good with all sorts of things; use sprinkled on pasta or pizza, or just eat as a snack with a chilled glass of dry sherry or wine. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You'll need (serves 2): 2 tbsp capers 1 onion 10g sun-dried tomatoes 1 garlic clove 125g pearl barley 1 tin borlotti beans 150g spring greens 1 tsp herbes de Provence 2 tbsp red pesto 2 tbsp sweet white miso 1 butternut squash 1 lemon ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Put the capers in a mug of cold water to soak. Preheat your oven to 200˚C/Gas 6. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Finely slice the onion. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan. Gently fry the onion and sun-dried tomatoes for 10 mins, stirring now and then. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic. Rinse the barley in a sieve. Drain the borlotti beans. Strip the spring greens off their stalks. Thinly shred the leaves. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ After 10 mins, add the garlic, herbes de Provence, pesto and miso into the onion. Stir well. Add 800ml of boiled water and the barley. Bring to a low boil and cook for 10 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Peel, halve and deseed the squash. Chop into approx. 3-4cm chunks. Toss in a roasting tin in oil to coat. Season. Roast until just tender and starting to colour, approx. 20-25 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When the barley has cooked for 10 mins, add the borlotti. Cook for a further 15 mins or so, until the barley is just tender with a little bite and has a risotto-like consistency. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Meanwhile, drain the capers. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan. Fry the capers until crispy, approx. 2 mins. Drain on kitchen paper. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Heat a splash more oil in the pan, stir-fry the spring greens for approx. 2-3 mins, until just wilted. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Once the barley is tender, gently stir in the squash and spring greens. Season and add a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste. Serve, topped with fried capers.
  • Guy's news: Record rainfall as winter starts early⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ With the trees almost naked & the ground sodden, we're battening down for a long winter. Unlike last year’s dry & sunny autumn, many seasonal springs were running by early October this year.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We've had 19" of rain since 1 September; half our annual average & more than double the same period last year. Fear of repeating the dire winter of 2013 is rising in my stomach.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Though I've done my time pulling leeks in a January gale, I doubt I could hack it today. Watching the teams return to unload their leeks, cabbages & kale, I'm amazed at the smiles; maybe it's just relief that they will soon be warm & dry.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Spare them a thought as you chop your veg. As well as physical & mental strength, it requires great dexterity to clean, trim & strip a leek neatly, especially when your fingers are half frozen.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When the soil is this wet, the structure becomes unstable & vulnerable to damage by machinery, livestock & even feet. Ideally, we'd shut the gates & keep off, but the perishability of green veg forces us to harvest regardless of the conditions. Life would be easier on better drained, sandy soils & in lower-rainfall areas further east.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ That said, the proximity of the Atlantic keeps us warm; our mild winters allow us to grow crops which would suffer in the colder, dryer east. & the clay in our soil helps hold nutrients which would be leached away on sands.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We do our best to protect the soil. We use low ground-pressure harvesting vehicles on caterpillar tracks, leave grassy borders, & grow rye or vetch on resting fields to cover the soil & trap sediment. Running a cultivating tine behind the tractor on the year’s final weeding increases percolation & avoids run-off, which can cause soil loss & flooding. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Every year it gets harder to find hardy souls able to stand a winter in the fields – & climatologists suggest our weather will only get wetter. Investing in more polytunnels&caterpillar-tracked vehicles has to be a priority.
  • RECIPE - Spicy Spinach Shakshuka⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Organic eggs are baked in a spicy sauce made with chilli, cayenne pepper, baby spinach and sweet cherry tomatoes. A fantastic weekend breakfast served with a hot round of toast. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 125g cherry tomatoes ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 red onion⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 yellow pepper⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2 garlic cloves⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 chilli⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 150g baby spinach ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tsp cumin seeds⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ½ tsp smoked paprika⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ¼ tsp cayenne⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 200g passata⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 4 eggs ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tbsp mixed seeds⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 150ml yogurt ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Heat your oven to 180 °C/Gas 4. Halve the tomatoes. Toss in a roasting tin with ½ tbsp of oil. Season. Roast for 15 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the onion. Deseed the pepper and slice into thin long strips. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Heat ½ tbsp of oil in a large frying pan. Gently stir-fry the onion and pepper for 8-10 mins on a medium heat, until the onion has softened.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ While the onion cooks, peel and finely chop the garlic. Deseed the chilli and slice into thin rings. Wash the spinach.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Add the spinach to a large lidded saucepan on a medium heat. Cover, then let it gently wilt (approx. 3 mins). Set aside. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Increase the heat of the onion pan. Add the garlic, cumin seeds and smoked paprika, together with a pinch of cayenne and ½ the chilli (both to your taste). Fry for 1 min, stirring continuously. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Add the passata and roasted tomatoes to the onion pan. Simmer on a medium heat for 3 mins. Check the seasoning; add more cayenne if you like. Scoop out the spinach and stir it into the tomato mixture. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Make 4 wells in the mix and crack the eggs into them. Initially, increase the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Then, reduce the heat and cook for 5-6 mins, until the whites have set and the yolks are still runny (or cooked to your liking). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Sprinkle the shakshuka with the mixed seeds, the remaining chilli and a couple of dollops of yogurt. Serve with toast or warm pittas.
  • Almost too beautiful to eat, this buttonhole kale has dark green, frilly outer leaves enveloping a vibrant purple heart. Our Devon neighbour Andy Hayllor has grown a small crop to see how it gets on. This was one of the 6-12 trials we do a year. A lot of our trials are brassicas because Devon is very wet and also because it's a long winter with cabbage and kale, so it's good to mix it up. . We'll do another trial next year to see how it does again - with unpredictable weather we have to trial for three years before we know if we can grow a crop successfully before we commit to large numbers. We've also tried red curly kale this year which looked amazing - it's a weird crop as it grows green then turns red as it gets colder. . This kale is very striking, and a delight to cook with: the stems are succulent, the leaves retain their texture (and some of their eye-catching colour) when cooked, and the flavour is beautifully mild and sweet. ⠀⠀⠀
  • RECIPE - Creamy Squash Pasta Bake ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Creamy and comforting, it’s almost hard to believe that this veg-packed bake is vegan. Mash the squash well and ensure that the sauce is thin enough to thoroughly coat the penne. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 onion, finely diced 2 leeks, thinly shredded 1 small butternut squash, peeled & chopped into 2cm chunks 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 10g thyme, leaves stripped from stalk 10g rosemary, pick & chop 1 tbsp of leaves 1 tsp smoked paprika 100ml white wine 1 tbsp Dijon mustard ½ tbsp bouillon powder 200g penne pasta 10g parsley, finely chopped 50g walnut pieces, finely chopped 30g breadcrumbs 250ml soy cream 1 lemon ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Preheat your oven to 190˚C/Gas 5. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan & fry the onion and leek on a low heat for 10 mins or so. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Add the squash, garlic, rosemary, ½ the thyme and paprika to the onion. Cook for 1 min. Add the wine, let it bubble briefly, then add the mustard, bouillon and 400ml of boiled water. Simmer for 10-12 mins, until the squash is completely soft. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ While the squash cooks, fill a medium saucepan with boiled water. Add a pinch of salt. Boil the penne for 8 mins, until almost tender but with a fair bit of bite (it will continue to cook in the oven). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When ready, drain the penne and set aside. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Mix the remaining thyme with the walnuts, breadcrumbs and 1 tbsp of oil in a small bowl. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Coarsely mash the cooked squash in the pan. Stir in the soy cream and parsley (the mix should be spoonable and creamy). Season and add lemon juice, to taste. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Stir the penne into the squash sauce. Transfer to a baking dish. Sprinkle over the walnut mix. Bake for 15 mins, until golden and bubbling. Serve with a handful of salad leaves.
  • Check out Penny’s loofahs! These unusual additions to the @riverfordfieldkitchen polytunnel were planted back in May along with the squash and courgettes. By October they reached their full size. They have now been harvested and left to dry in a cool, dark and dry place until they have fully turned yellow. Penny will then peel the skin off and some lucky individual will be able to make use of it to give their back a scrub next time they are in the bath. We’ll report back with the finished product later this year. In Paraguay where this vegetable is more commonly grown, it is mixed with other vegetable matter and recycled plastic to create panels to build houses.
  • RECIPE - Cumin Roast Cauliflower Tagine ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We have pomegranates for such a short season and they’re here right now, so we’re using their jewel-like seeds to garnish this calorie-light tagine. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You'll need (serves 2): ½ large or 1 small cauliflower 1 red onion 1 garlic clove 2 tomatoes 20g apricots 1 tbsp harissa 1 tagine spice mix (1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp turmeric) 100g passata 1 tin chickpeas 15g parsley 10g chervil 10g mint 100g couscous 1 tsp cumin seeds ½ pomegranate 1 lemon ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Heat your oven to 190˚C/Gas 5. Chop the cauli into bite-sized florets. Toss in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp of oil. Set aside. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Finely dice the onion, then gently fry it, while you continue. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Finely chop the garlic. Roughly dice the tomatoes. Roughly chop the apricots. Roast the cauliflower for 10 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Meanwhile, stir the garlic, harissa and tagine spice mix into the onion for 1 min. Stir in the passata, apricots, tomatoes, chickpeas and the liquid in the chickpea tin. Bring it up to a low boil, then cook for 15 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ While the tagine cooks, boil a kettle. Altogether, chop the parsley, chervil and mint leaves. Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Add a pinch of salt and cover by 1cm with boiled water. Cover and set aside. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ After 10 mins, remove the cauliflower from the oven and toss with the cumin seeds. Roast for a further 5-7 mins, until the cauliflower is tender and starting to colour. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Meanwhile, halve the pomegranate, crossways. Over a bowl, use a wooden spoon or rolling pin to bash the base of ½ the pomegranate, so the seeds fall out. Pick out any yellowy-white bits of membrane, if any fall out. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Remove the cooked cauliflower from the oven and finish with a squeeze of lemon. Season the tagine, add a squeeze of lemon, and stir in 3/4 of the herbs. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Fluff the couscous up with a fork. Serve with the tagine topped with the cauliflower, pomegranate and remaining herbs.
  • Guy's news: Asking the wrong questions⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This evening I spent 20 minutes gathering chestnuts. On the drive leaving the farm are fallen hazelnuts, crab apples, quinces & medlars, which join the already rotted damsons & plums. Is food so cheap & abundant that no one can be bothered to collect it? Or have we lost the knowledge & confidence to gather & prepare food without a sell-by date?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Cranfield University recently published a study suggesting that organic farming, despite reducing emissions per acre, would increase emissions globally, food yields would reduce, resulting in more land being cultivated elsewhere.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The logic is sound if you believe that our global food system is driven by nutritional need. But we live in a world where more people are obese than undernourished, where 1/3 of food is wasted: the study's logic is that of unquestioned dogma.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In the tropical low-wage economies where food security is an issue, organic farming can be much more productive & is more socially & environmentally sustainable. Food insecurity is almost always the result of income inequality, iniquitous land distribution, or war.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Globally we produce more food than we can eat - it’s just the wrong food, in the wrong mouths. We're asking over-simplified questions, because the important questions are too complex for our clumsy economics to cope with.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ To loosely quote Einstein: “We can’t solve problems using the same thinking we used when we created them.” For years I've heard arguments that we need GM crops & artificial pesticides to feed rising populations, that intensively-farmed livestock produces more food for less methane & CO2, that the answer is 'sustainable intensification' as advocated by the agrochemical industry.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Within a narrow frame, these statements can be accurate – but in a long-term, holistic view, they're invariably unquantified consequences. If there's no soil left, no pollinators & a decimated environment, we'll have paid a high price for the food that we waste.

© 2019 Riverford Organic Farmers Ltd

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