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Riverford Organic Farmers

Wicked Leeks is an online magazine powered by Riverford Organic Farmers.
Riverford grows and sells organic food through its award-winning veg boxes, alongside campaigning for its core values of sustainable food and ethical business.

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  • Not only does he grow the best organic apples, Riverford grower Paul Ward is donating land worth over £1 million to a sustainable housing project with the aim of offering affordable homes to employees. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Paul has given an acre of land at his Kent based farm, Mole End Farm, for a nominal £1 to the Crane Valley Land Trust, which has set out plans to build 15-20 zero-carbon houses for local people working & living in the area. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ To Paul, it's about filling a gap in affordable housing. Cranbrook (where he is based) is one of the most expensive parts of the country. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "There is a huge amount of development going on here in all the villages. But there is no affordable housing here, absolutely none. We need affordable housing. I don’t know how you solve the problem to be honest,” commented Paul, who said the Brexit vote “spurred him on” in the housing project. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This project is also about investing in the future of his business, by supporting the people who work for him & encouraging them to stay, most of which are European. The issue of labour in the fruit & veg industry has made headlines recently with reports of rotting fruit & apples left unpicked as growers face increased difficulty hiring enough pickers. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Labour shortages have been building for several years among the seasonal workforce, following the abolition of an official government scheme (SAWS) to allow workers in for the picking season. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This was compounded by the fall in value of the pound following the Brexit vote & the hostile atmosphere to immigrants since the referendum. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ As is the case at Riverford (22% of co-owners are European, & a much higher proportion in the farm team), Eastern European workers make up the bulk of the industry’s workforce. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The NFU estimates that the industry needs around 80,000 seasonal workers to cover the full season. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Farms in expensive housing areas could be worse hit by shortages, believes Paul, whose story we hope may inspire others to consider similar projects.
  • RECIPE - Mushroom, lentil & red wine wellington ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hold tight for Christmas recipes from now until the big day! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This wellington is an ideal veggie centrepiece to your Christmas feast. The cooking is simple & speedy, but you need to give the filling time to cool - it makes working with the pastry much easier. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s easily made vegan by using vegan pastry & oil in place of egg. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You'll need (serves 4-6): 4 large Portobello mushrooms 1 onion, finely dice 1 carrot, finely diced 1 celery stick, finely dice 1 tin cooked dark/puy lentils 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 large sprig of rosemary, finely chopped 1 tbsp soy sauce 100ml red wine 300g puff pastry 150g baby spinach 1 egg, beaten ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Preheat your oven to 200˚C/Gas 6. Toss the mushrooms in a roasting tray with 2 tbsp of oil & seasoning. Bake for 20 mins. Remove from the tray & place in the fridge. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ While the mushrooms roast, warm 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan & cook the onion, carrot & celery over a medium heat for 10 mins. Meanwhile, drain & rinse the lentils. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Add the garlic, rosemary, lentils, soy sauce & red wine to the veg, along with 100ml of water. Cook over a medium heat for 10 mins, until most of the liquid has disappeared & the lentils have become mushy. Remove from the heat & season with salt & pepper to taste. Pop into the fridge to cool. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Roll out the pastry into a rectangle about 3mm thin, roughly the size of an A4 sheet. Lay it on the clean baking tray & return it to the fridge to stay cold. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Place the spinach in saucepan over a high heat until just wilted, about 30 secs. Drain (cold water), squeeze out excess water & roughly chop. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ To build the Wellington, spread the cooled lentil mix over the pastry, leaving a 2cm gap along one long edge. Place the mushrooms, stems up, in a line down the centre &pack them with spinach. Brush the exposed pastry edge with a little little water. Gently lift it up & over to completely encase the mushrooms, pressing the damp edge down. Crimp the open ends.Brush with beaten egg & lightly score the top. Cut 2 or 3 vent holes to let the steam escape.Bake for 20-25 mins until golden
  • Happy birthday Wicked Leeks! We’re pleased to announce that our magazine is turning one, & we are celebrating a successful first year of writing & sharing stories about sustainable food & ethical business. It was an unusual decision for a veg box company to become a publisher, but Riverford's always had a reputation for sharing our knowledge as well as being open to the opinions of others. It was time to take this further, & we did so by launching a magazine that is edited & written by trained journalists & other experts, aiming to become the place to shape & host the debate around food, farming & the environment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ From launching this time last year, Wicked Leeks has covered stories such as the impact of climate change on growers, to food politics around Brexit, environment news, stories of innovation in farming, plastic pollution, the huge rise in climate activism, an unprecedented interest in ethical diets, plant-based eating & the role of livestock in sustainable food. On the ethical business side, we’ve looked at the role of ownership in business, whether that’s by employees, the community or a co-op structure. Exclusive interviews with the likes of George Monbiot, Satish Kumar & Bea Johnson, alongside contributions from top journalists Lucy Siegle & Joanna Blythman, & a weekly newsletter from Riverford founder Guy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There’s a weekly selection of ethical lifestyle articles, such as how to live plastic free, or how to encourage wildlife into your garden, as well as a seasonal rota of curated recipes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ To crown it all, Wicked Leeks’ editor Nina Pullman was invited onto a festive episode of Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, to discuss how to eat sustainably at Christmas. It’s been quite a year! But we couldn’t have done it without the support of our fantastic readers. Thank you! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you’d like to join the rest of the Wicked Leeks community, the newsletter goes out every Sunday with 5 new stories (sign up at wickedleeks.com/#join).You can also follow the hashtag #WickedLeeks. Here's to the next year & beyond!
  • RECIPE - Spiced Root Rostis & Egg with Celery Salsa ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Rostis make a fantastic brunch or light dinner. This recipe makes approx. 8 rostis (to serve 2-3) with a mixture of grated carrot, parsnip & potato in. We've served them with a fried egg & a refreshing herby celery salsa for contrast. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tbsp capers, pre-soaked in a cup of cold water & drained 100g grated carrot 300g grated baking potato 150g grated parsnip 1 red onion, peeled & finely sliced Juice of ½ a lemon 1 rosti spice mix (½ tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp caraway, ½ tsp turmeric) 1 garlic clove, finely grated 2 celery sticks 15g parsley 5g mint 1 tbsp cider vinegar 3 eggs 20g plain flour handful alfalfa sprouts 100g watercress ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Put the grated veg and onion in a large bowl with 3 pinches of salt & the lemon juice; mix well with your hands & put in a colander lined with a clean tea towel. Set aside in the sink for 15 mins to let excess moisture drain off then squeeze out as much water as possible using the tea towel. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In a large frying pan, toast the rosti spice pot (with no oil), for approx. 30 secs - 1 min, until aromatic. Transfer to a plate. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Trim the celery; lightly run a peeler down the ridged sides to destring & finely dice. Finely chop just the parsley leaves & mint; Preheat your oven to 160°C/Gas 3. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In a bowl, mix the celery, ⅔ of the herbs, capers, vinegar & 4 tbsp of olive oil. Season. Beat 1 egg & tip into a bowl with the grated veg mix, garlic, toasted spices, beaten egg & flour. Season. Mix well & firmly shape ½ the mix into 4 balls (1 good handful each) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Fry the rostis in 3-4 tbsp of hot oil on a med-high heat for 4-5 mins each side (flatten down to 1cm thick). When golden & crispy remove & repeat with the rest of the mix. Once cooked, transfer to the oven on a baking tray to keep warm whilst you fry the remaining 2 eggs to your to your liking. Serve with the rostis, some alfalfa sprouts & the remaining herbs, with the celery salsa & a handful of watercress on the side.
  • Guy's news: Whose future? Their future.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On Black Friday, my 10 year-old stepdaughter Mabel, a formidable eco-warrior, bullied me into taking her on the Exeter school climate strike. Some thousand students marched to chants of “What do we want?”, “Climate justice!”, “When do we want it?”, “Now!”.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Humbled by the bright young faces, & the contrast between their irrepressible hope & the bleak future we're leaving them, I found myself holding back tears. We're the custodians of their planet, & we're failing shamefully.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So, what is Riverford going to do? We've just completed the second largest rooftop solar panel installation in the South West, which will generate up to 25% of our electricity; we're investing heavily in electric vehicles (70% of our vans by 2023); we're redesigning our packaging, to make fruit & veg 100% plastic free by December 2020.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Much more than many businesses are doing, but given the gravity & urgency of the situation, we could do more. We've started an internal debate, hoping to reach an agreement on the degree to which we are able to risk our profits in pursuit of bigger changes – & perhaps more significantly, how much we can restrict your choices without losing customers to retailers who offer no such limits.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our prices will increase by an average of 2% in January. We've had a good year, so might've been able to hold prices steady a bit longer by shelving some of the projects above – but we think many people choose to shop with us not only for great food, but for a more hopeful future.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You might reasonably ask: are you getting value for money? The best assurance I can offer is that we're very good at what we do; it couldn't be done, with the same ethics, for any less. Beyond paying taxes & investing in the business, the money we make only leaves in 2 ways: as profit share to co-owners (£719 each last year), or as a dividend on my remaining 26% share, which does into a fund for projects that reduce our environmental impact.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Guy Singh-Watson
  • RECIPE - Mushroom & Sprout Top Tikka Masala⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A one-pot curry, with potatoes and seasonal sprout tops paired with mushrooms to give a savoury (umami) flavour to the curry sauce. The sprout tops are tender; they can be used much like spring or summer greens. There’s quite a bit of sauce; you’ll want a spoon, or mash the potatoes into the curry to mop it up.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 onion⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 200g mushrooms⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 400g potatoes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2 garlic cloves⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ½ tsp ground ginger⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ tikka spice paste - add to taste⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tin chickpeas⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 200ml passata⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tin coconut milk⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 15g coriander⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 250g Brussels sprout tops⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 lemon⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 20g toasted coconut chips⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Finely dice the onion. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan. Gently fry the onion for 10 mins, stirring often. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms, not too thinly (approx. 1cm). Peel the potatoes. Chop into bite-sized chunks. Finely chop the garlic.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Add the mushrooms to the onion. Increase the heat slightly and fry for 2 mins. Stir in the potatoes, garlic, ginger and tikka spice paste (start with a couple of tbsp).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Add the chickpeas (including the liquid in the tin), the passata and coconut milk. Season. Bring to a low boil and cook for 10 mins.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Chop the coriander, stalks and all. Strip the leaves off the Brussels sprout top stalks, then shred the leaves. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ After 10 mins, stir in the sprout tops. Cook for approx. 3 mins, until wilted.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Stir in ¾ of the coriander. Check the seasoning and add a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Serve in bowls, sprinkled with the coconut chips and remaining coriander.
  • A lot of large retailers would reject these diddy butternut squash for not meeting strict size and shape specifications. In fact, they even fall outside of our (very loose) specs, falling under the normal acceptable squash weight for boxes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But we hate food waste, so we tested them in the kitchen and what they lack in size, they make up for in taste. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Grown on Guy's farm in France, they are ideal for smaller portion sizes. Hands up if you've been left with half a squash in the fridge after a recipe only calls for a small amount... we thought so! Each of these is a convenient two-person portion. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We're selling them in packs of four. The rest can sit in a cheerful troop on the shelf until you’re ready to eat them. (They will also appear in pairs in some veg boxes next week). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #wastenotwantnot
  • RECIPE - Herb & Garlic Roast Squash & Shallots ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Squash can be a bit fiddly to peel, but with thin-skinned butternut there’s no real need as the skin is edible. You need about two-thirds of a standard squash in this recipe, but you might as well use it all and save the rest for use in lunchbox salads. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⅔ butternut squash - roast all of it, as you can save it for salads 200g shallots 1 whole garlic bulb 10g rosemary 200g curly kale 15g sage 1 lemon 20g pine nuts 1 leek 1 tin butterbeans 2 tbsp green pesto 1 tbsp sweet white miso ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Preheat your oven to 190ºC/Gas 5. Halve the squash, lengthways, scoop the seeds out, then slice it into approx. 2-3cm thick slices. Halve the shallots, through the root, then peel them. Halve the garlic bulb, crossways. Roughly chop 1 good tbsp worth of rosemary leaves. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In a large roasting tin, toss the squash, shallots and garlic in just enough oil to coat. Season. Roast for 30-35 mins, until tender, tossing them with the rosemary halfway through. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ While the squash cooks, strip the kale leaves off their stalks. Roughly shred them. Pick 10-12 sage leaves, depending on size. Finely zest ½ the lemon. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In a large frying pan, with no oil, gently toast the pine nuts for 2-3 mins, until lightly golden. Transfer to a plate. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Heat a thin layer of oil in the same pan. When the oil is hot, fry the sage leaves for approx. 30 secs - 1 min, until crispy. Scoop onto a plate, leaving some oil in the pan. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Trim and halve the leek, lengthways. Thinly shred it and wash it well to remove any grit. In the frying pan, gently fry the leek for 5 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Stir in the kale, the butterbeans and the liquid in their tin. Season. Simmer for 4-5 mins or so, until the kale has wilted then stir in the pesto and miso. Season. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Serve the veg with the roasted squash and shallots, the garlic for squeezing, and sprinkled with sage, pine nuts and lemon zest.
  • Natural, homegrown & foraged decorations ❄️ How pretty are these? We use these in wreaths that we make on the farm. We have dried hydrangeas grown by @pennyhemming in our kitchen garden, old man's beard that we foraged from around the farm, and larch cones. We love drying citrus fruit slices for tree decorations too - dry them out slowly in a low temp oven 🍊 Any other ideas welcome below!

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