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Riverford

Posts by Riverford

    • Diversity
    • Farming

    Is there a gender imbalance in farming?

    Is there a gender imbalance in farming? This International Women's Day, we hear from three women working in agriculture about their careers and experiences in what is still a male-dominated industry…

    By Riverford - 8th March 2019

    0
    • Veganism
    • Farming

    What makes a sustainable plant-based diet?

    As veganism grows in popularity, there are questions over what is, and isn't, a sustainable plant-based diet. Watch below and join the debate on social media under #WickedLeeks.  

    By Riverford - 12th February 2019

    3
    • Eating & drinking
    • Recipes

    Say it with beetroot

    Beet is a star of the veg-dessert world, lending a sweet depth and moistness without tasting at all vegetably. It pairs well with chocolate in a mousse fit for Valentine's Day or any other special…

    By Riverford - 11th February 2019

    0
    • Eating & drinking
    • Recipes

    How to cook an oca tuber

    Oca are like a lighter, sharper-tasting version of the potato. Guy grows them on Riverford's French farm with great results: planted in March, they grow steadily through the summer before swelling…

    By Riverford - 31st January 2019

    0
    • Eating & drinking
    • Recipes

    Beetroot, Coconut, Ginger & Lime Soup

    A blend of comforting, earthy beetroot and fragrant Asian aromatics. The ginger brings some warm spicing, and you can choose to boost it with a pinch of cayenne, if the mood takes you.

    By Riverford - 23rd January 2019

    0
    • News from the farm

    Father of Riverford founder passes away

    John Watson, of Riverford Farm and father of Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson, has passed away aged 93.

    By Riverford - 9th January 2019

    3

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Latest posts

    • Ethical business
    • Guy Singh-Watson

    Watch: What is responsible capitalism?

     Last week Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson was presented with an award for responsible capitalism. But is this concept even possible?

    By Guy Singh-Watson - 19th March 2019

    1
    • Ethical business
    • Guy Singh-Watson

    Responsible capitalism: a manifesto

    Last month, I was presented with the 18th Award for Responsible Capitalism, given annually by publishing group First.

    By Guy Singh-Watson - 18th March 2019

    1
    • Ethical business
    • News from the farm

    Can capitalism be responsible?

    Some 20 years ago, when I was campaigning against GM seeds, a wise aunt advised me not to ‘demonise my foe’. Her words were in my ears last week as I was presented with the 18th Award for Responsible…

    By Guy Singh-Watson - 13th March 2019

    6

Articles from other authors

Watch: What is responsible capitalism?

 Last week Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson was presented with an award for responsible capitalism. But is this concept even possible?

1 comments / Ethical business

Responsible capitalism: a manifesto

Last month, I was presented with the 18th Award for Responsible Capitalism, given annually by publishing group First. The decision to accept the award was a…

1 comments / Ethical business

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  • RECIPE - Leek & Wild Garlic Gribiche ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A beautiful Spring side dish, courtesy of our farm restaurant @riverfordfieldkitchen. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Leeks were the first crop we grew on a substantial scale at Riverford and they remain an important staple for us. By April, the spring warmth has made them bright and sweet. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here we’ve paired them with an old French farmhouse larder sauce, enhanced with one of the other joys of spring – wild garlic. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You'll need (serves 6 as a side) Leeks: 6 small leeks, cleaned, tops & ends removed leaving enough root to hold together 4 bay leaves 10 whole black peppercorns 10 whole fennel seed 10 whole coriander seed 1 lemon zest 1l cold water 150m dry white wine 10ml olive oil Gribiche: 4 large eggs 30g dijon mustard 15ml lemon juice 15ml white wine vinegar 250ml rapeseed oil 100g small red onion, finely diced 100g pickled radish, thinly sliced 40g dill 40g parsley 20g mint 40g wild garlic 50g capers ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For the leeks: preheat oven to 160C. Put the leeks in an oven dish with the bay leaves, spices and lemon zest, then pour the water and wine over the top. The leeks should be ¾ submerged. Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper then poach the leeks in the oven until they are just done – you want a knife to easily pierce them but for their colour to remain bright. Save some of the liquid to dress the dish. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For the gribiche: drop the eggs into a pot of boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. Refresh in iced water. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Whisk the mustard, lemon juice and white wine vinegar together and add the rapeseed oil. Do this slowly to make sure it is emulsified into a thick vinaigrette. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Grate the egg into a bowl. Add the onion, radish, half the chopped herbs and wild garlic, and the capers. Stir through the vinaigrette. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ To serve: lay the leeks in a large, deep dish, then spoon a little of the leek liquor and a drizzle of olive oil over. Spoon generous dollops of gribiche on top. Scatter the remaining wild garlic and herbs over the top.
  • RECIPE - Wild Garlic Pesto⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It's wild garlic season! We forage ours fresh from the woods around our Devon farm. Glossy, juicy and pungent, with a milder flavour than the dried bulbs – wild garlic leaves are one of the joys of spring. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This pesto is delicious thrown through pasta, swirled through soups and stews or served as a condiment to baked potatoes or a perfectly roast chicken. Try using it as a salad dressing or popping a few dabs into your favourite sandwich. Will keep for at least a week in the fridge. Feel free to replace the hazelnuts with any nut of your choosing, likewise any salty hard cheese can work too. Makes 1 large jar.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You'll need: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 100g wild garlic⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 50g Parmesan grated⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 50g hazelnuts, skinned & toasted⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Olive oil⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Lemon juice, to taste⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Salt & pepper⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Thoroughly wash your wild garlic and place in a food processor, blitz until fairly well broken up.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Next add your Parmesan and process further, this will help to break down the garlic leaves.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Finally add your hazelnuts. When the nuts are added you will want to have your olive oil to hand; turn the machine back on, and add olive oil to your desired consistency.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You can always make this more traditionally and slowly in a pestle and mortar too.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #wildgarlic #pesto #foragingrecipes #foraging #spring #wildgarlicrecipes #livelifeontheveg #riverford #organic
  • Guy’s news: Can capitalism be responsible? 20 years ago, when I was campaigning against GM seeds, a wise aunt advised me not to ‘demonise my foe’. Her words were in my ears last week as I was presented with the 18th Award for Responsible Capitalism by Princess Anne. Previous winners include the heads of Unilever, BP, & Rio Tinto (foes?), as well as @divinechocolateuk & @ecover_uk. I believe the organisers genuinely share my desire for better business; however, I'm less sure that they have the sense of urgency or the appetite for disruption that'll be needed if we're to avoid blindly charging over the environmental & social cliffs that unbridled capitalism is leading us towards. I used my 3 minutes in front of 200 ambassadors, lords & moneyed power brokers to give an angry speech about the failures of capitalism. We have created a system designed to make us behave irresponsibly, & then abdicated personal responsibility for our actions with the excuses that we're just ‘following the rules’, ‘doing what others do’, ‘being realistic’. Capitalism has made it normal & acceptable to profit from destroying our collective future. Bizarrely, economists & policymakers present this paradigm as rationality; to me it seems pathologically delusional. On I went...& to my surprise, most people in the room seemed to agree. One woman told me that she knew climate change was real because she now had to walk 27 steps from her ski chalet to the retreating glacier. I was told ‘we need more people like you’, to which I should've replied: ‘no, we need more people like you, with options to change their ways & the power to set a better example.' I may've sowed a few seeds of doubt, but I'm not holding my breath. To paraphrase the phenomenal 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, hope will only come from action. We need both change from within & challenge from without to stand a chance of passing a habitable planet on to our grandchildren. We need approval, encouragement &bravery from our peers; shaming from our children; incentives &leadership from government; & perhaps most of all, we need positive, joyous, well publicised examples of a plausible alternative future. I believe Riverford is one.
  • RECIPE - Ras el Hanout Hasselback Squash Hasselbacking veg is an interesting way of cooking squash. We’ve served ours with a Harissa couscous with creamy feta and crunchy pine nuts. 🍴You’ll need (serves 2): 1 small butternut squash, halved lengthways with seeds removed 1 red onion, peeled & finely diced 2 garlic cloves, peeled & finely chopped 20g pine nuts 1 Romano pepper, deseeded & thinly sliced 30g black olives, stoned & sliced 10 fresh bay leaves 20g dried apricots, chopped 1 couscous stew spice mix (1 tsp dried mint, 1 tbsp dried coriander leaves, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp smoked paprika) 100g couscous 1 tbsp harissa 200g passata 15g parsley, roughly chopped 1 tbsp ras el hanout 75g feta 1 lemon Lightly oil and season the cut sides of the squash, then roast cut-side down for 25 mins at 200C/Gas 6. In a saucepan, gently dry fry the pine nuts for 3-4 mins then transfer to a plate. Gently fry the onion in 1 tbsp of oil for 10 mins. Add the pepper and cook for 2 mins or so then remove from the heat. Take the squash from the oven after 25 minutes but keep it in the tin. Make 8-10 downward slices into the rounded skin-side of the squash, stopping 2cm from the bottom so it stays in 1 piece. Tuck the bay leaves into some of the cuts, drizzle with oil, season and roast for another 10 mins. Return the onion & pepper to the heat. Stir in the garlic, couscous stew spice mix, couscous, apricots, olives, harissa and passata. Refill the passata pot with water; add that then season and bring to a low boil. cook for 10 mins, until the couscous is soft. Remove the squash from the oven again. Sprinkle over the ras el hanout, drizzle with a little more oil then return it to the oven for approx 10 mins, until the squash is tender. Check the couscous seasoning, adding lemon juice to taste. Crumble the feta and sprinkle the cheese, parsley and pine nuts over the squash before serving.
  • Introducing Ellis, #WickedLeeks’ new cartoonist with his take on food politics, sustainability, and anything in between. This week: With Brexit day looming, there is a growing realisation about the gap between what many politicians think of food production versus the reality.
  • RECIPE - Chermoula Cauliflower with Herby Quinoa ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In this dish, we fry cauliflower with a smoky North African spice paste, called chermoula. Due to size variations in our cauliflowers, we’ve given you two options for how to prepare it. If you have a small cauliflower, just chop it into florets. If you have a larger one, turn it upside down and slice through the stalk to get two thick slices from the middle. Don’t worry if odd bits fall off, you can still use them. You’ll need (serves 2) ⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 red onion, peeled, halved & finely sliced 20g pumpkin seeds 30g green olives , stoned & sliced Juice & zest of ½ a lemon, plus extra juice to taste 1 garlic clove, peeled & finely grated 15g parsley, finely chopped 1 chermoula spice mix (1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp dried coriander leaf) 100g quinoa, rinsed 1 tsp bouillon powder 1 cauliflower, cut either in to even florets or 2 x 3cm thick slices 150g spinach ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Lightly toast the pumpkin seeds for 2 mins then transfer to a plate. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Gently fry the onion in 1 tbsp of oil, stirring now and then. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In a bowl, mix the garlic, chermoula spice mix, lemon zest, juice from ½ the lemon, ½ the parsley, ½ tbsp of olive oil and 7 tbsp of water. This is your chermoula - season it and set aside. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Add the quinoa, bouillon and 325ml of boiled water to the onion. Simmer for 14-15 mins, until the quinoa is tender, adding more water if needed. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Fry the cauliflower in 1 tbsp of oil for 3 mins on a medium-high heat until golden, then carefully turn them. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Add ½ tbsp more oil and the chermoula before frying on a lower heat for 6-7 mins, adding a little water if needed until the cauliflower is cooked with a little bite. Season. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wilted the spinach in a pan, then drain it over the sink by pressing the spinach against the side of a pan with a spoon. Stir the olives and spinach into the quinoa, season and add more lemon juice to taste. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Serve the quinoa and cauliflower scattered with pumpkin seeds and remaining parsley.
  • Organic land rises for first time in over 10 years ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Good news for organic: the amount of land farmed organically in the UK has risen for the first time in over a decade. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ During the last year, the amount of organic land rose by 1.9%, the first increase since 2008, while it’s the third year of growth for the amount of land in conversion to organic. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ With recent news about the approaching extinction of many insects, this is really reassuring. Organic farms have been shown to have up to 50% more biodiversity. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We see organic as a solution; as the way forward to produce food sustainably without destroying the environment, and it seems an increasing number of others are too 🍃
  • RECIPE - Baked Greek Beans & Potato Wedges⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This recipe is inspired by a baked bean dish called ‘Greek gigantes’, aka giant beans. Traditionally, they’re served as part of a mezze but, here, we’ve topped off the beans with tangy sheep’s cheese and rosemary potato wedges on the side, to make it a complete meal. Baking the beans in the oven enriches the sauce, making it perfect for dunking the potatoes in!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You'll need(serves 2): 500g potatoes, peeled & chopped into thick wedges⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 10g rosemary, roughly chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 onion, peeled, halved & finely sliced⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 red pepper, deseeded & chopped into 2cm pieces⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2 garlic clove, peeled & finely chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ½ a lemon, finely zested⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tin butterbeans, drained & rinsed ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 15g parsley, roughly chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 Greek bean spice mix (½ tbsp dried oregano, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp cinnamon)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tbsp red pesto⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tsp bouillon powder ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tin chopped tomatoes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 75g feta⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Preheat your oven to 190˚C/Gas 5. Toss the potatoes in a roasting tin in oil to coat, season and roast for 30 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Gently fry the onion and pepper in 2 tbsp of oil for 12 mins, stirring often and adding a splash of water if it looks like catching. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Stir in the garlic, then after 30 secs stir in the Greek bean spice mix. Cook for 1 min, then stir in the pesto, bouillon, tomatoes and beans. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Refill the empty can ½ full with water; add that. Season and simmer for 5 mins, stirring often. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Transfer the beans to a baking dish. Bake for 20 mins, until the sauce has thickened. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Remove the potatoes from the oven after they have been roasting for 30 mins, toss with the rosemary then roast for a further 10 mins or so until the potatoes are cooked through and crisp.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When the beans are ready, loosen the sauce with a little water if it’s too thick. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Crumbled the feta over the beans and top with the parsley.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Sprinkle a little lemon zest over the potatoes and serve on the side.
  • Guy's news: The ultimate sustainable food?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In the best woods, a flexible, nimble-fingered picker can forage 50kg of ramsons (the local name for wild garlic) a day. It'll be available until late April when the leaves open above & shade it out. Ramsons share their shady habitat with the toxic weeds Dog’s Mercury & Lords-&-ladies & the leaves are painstakingly re-sorted in the packhouse for safety.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Foraging is expensive, hard to manage & introduces risk & unpredictability, which stresses our technical team. If we could grow the stuff in a field under controlled conditions we probably would, but after years of experimenting, I’ve conceded that its requirements for shade & soil type are too subtle for my clumsy agronomic efforts to simulate. I’ve collected seed & spread it in newly-planted woods, but it takes six years to establish & I suspect it'll take a century of leaf drop to create the humus-rich soil that supports the best crops.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Occasionally I get chastised in the pub for “raping the woods for commercial gain”, to which I robustly counter that this is some of the most sustainable food we could eat. It represents a model we should emulate & learn from rather than denigrate.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There's a debate raging in policy circles over whether our farming should “spare or share”; the former would have us intensify & use every input to increase yield & supposedly therefore spare land for nature. In the most extreme cases, nature is removed completely with food produced in a factory under lights. Sharing agriculture aspires to accommodate nature on the same land that is shared with the crop & includes ideas like agroforestry, permaculture & foraging. Sharing is knowledge intensive (& hard to profit from selling), & lacks commercial advocates & lobbyists; sparing tends to be supported by reductionist economists, technophiles & companies with inputs to⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ sell. I know which system I'd like my food to come from & I'm pretty sure which is better for the planet.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Guy Singh-Watson

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