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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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  • Guy's news: Green power and a generation of guilt⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Time is running out for any hope of keeping climate change within two degrees Celsius and thereby avoiding the cataclysm of self-perpetuating, runaway global warming. I feel ashamed of the mass inaction of my generation and the impact it will have on future generations; they will look back in anger and disbelief at how we fed our material appetites with such scant regard for the health of our planet. Despite the urgency, and the scientific consensus, governments continue to put energy prices, votes and industry lobbying ahead of our collective future.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Riverford uses a staggering three gigawatts of electricity a year – equivalent to the output of eight football pitches’ worth of solar panels. Since 2007, we have bought green electricity from @Ecotricity; mostly generated by sun and wind, and currently supplied through the National Grid. Ecotricity's calculations show that with their help, we’ve prevented 665 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere over the last 12 months alone.It would take nearly 321,000 trees to absorb that much carbon in a year.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Perhaps we might feel absolved of responsibility – but I think we can, and should, do better. I would rather someone else bought that green electricity and we generated our own. I dream that within ten years, the advance of battery technology will enable us to generate most, if not all, of our own power from on-farm wind turbines and solar panels. Then I will be able to rest easy, without shame. It will be a technical challenge, and probably need outside investment, but I suspect it will be a better use of our money and give a better return than any bank or pension fund can offer. We hope to work in partnership with Ecotricity on this project.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ - Those seeking to cut their carbon emissions might consider switching to @Ecotricity. Join Ecotricity and receive a £70 voucher to spend with Riverford. Find out more: ecotricity.co.uk/riverford ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Guy Singh-Watson
  • RECIPE - Moroccan Barley Portobellos & Salad⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Portobellos are perfect for stuffing. Here we've topped them with smoky pearl barley tumbled with spinach and walnuts, finished with crumbled ricotta. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You'll need: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 125g pearl barley ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ portobello spice mix (1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tsp bouillon powder ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 garlic clove, peeled & finely chopped ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 4 portobello mushrooms, stalks removed & finely chopped ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 50g walnut pieces ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 200g baby spinach ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 20g sultanas⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tbsp harissa - add to taste ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 125g ricotta cheese⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Transfer the barley, portobello spices and bouillon to a medium saucepan, cover with 700ml of boiled water and simmer for approx. 25 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Lay the mushroom caps, gill-side up, in a roasting tin. Drizzle with oil. Season. Roast for approx. 15 mins, until tender.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Gently toast the walnuts for 2-3 mins, transfer to a plate then roughly chop. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Stir the washed spinach in to the same pan. Cook it in its redisual water until just wilted. Press the spinach against the side of the pan using a large spoon. Tip any excess water away over the sink. Transfer to another plate. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Heat a drizzle of oil in the same pan. Gently fry the mushroom stalks and garlic for 1-2 mins, stirring now and then, until soft. Remove the pan from the heat. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Once the barley is ready, stir in the garlic, mushroom stalks, walnuts, sultanas and spinach. Add harissa and season, to taste. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Pile the barley mix into the mushrooms. Crumble over the ricotta and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Serve with salad.
  • Spreading a little organic hen love this Valentine’s day! 🧡 These girls provide us with eggs from Jerry at @orchardorganicfarm
  • RECIPE - Kale & Ricotta Stuffed Peppers ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Sweet, roasted peppers stuffed with creamy ricotta and hearty kale. Served on a bed of pesto and lemon white beans. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Curly or black kale will work equally well here, as will bell peppers instead of romano. Leaving the beans to sit for a while after seasoning allows them to soak up the salt and lemon.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You'll need (serves 2):⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2 romano peppers, sliced in half lengthways ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ olive oil⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 200g kale, leaves stripped off tough stalks & shredded⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2 garlic cloves, peeled & finely chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 bay leaf⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 15g thyme⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tin cannellini beans ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 125g ricotta⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 25g Italian-style cheese⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ nutmeg⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 lemon ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tablespoon pesto verde⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Coat the pepper halves in oil and lightly season. Roast in a pre-heated oven for 12 mins at 200C. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Heat a saucepan and add the kale. It should take 3-4 mins to wilt (note - this works better if it is still wet from washing. If dry, add a dash of water.) When done, tip into a colander to drain and cool. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same saucepan and add the garlic, bay leaf and 2 good sprigs of thyme. Fry for 1 min until the garlic smells fragrant. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Drain the beans and tip into the saucepan. Add enough water to half cover them and simmer for 5 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Remove the peppers from the oven. Squeeze the kale to remove excess water and roughly chop. Mix it with crumbled ricotta and the Italian cheese. Season and add a little grated nutmeg. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Stuff the peppers evenly with the mix and return to the oven for 10 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When the beans have warmed, tip away most of the water. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and the juice from half the lemon. Season and leave to one side. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When the peppers are ready, remove the bay and thyme from the beans and stir in the pesto. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Divide the beans between 2 plates and sit the peppers on top.
  • Good news for organic! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The UK organic market has seen its eighth year of growth with sales increasing by 5.3%. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What organic products are people buying?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🥛 Dairy is the largest sector, with a 28% market share⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🥦 Fresh produce follows as close second, at 24% ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🥫Canned and packaged food comes third, at 17% ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📦Home delivery schemes like ours are the fastest growing channel for organics, accounting for 14% of sales during the last year. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It's really reassuring to see more people choosing organic. Organic food is about so much more than just being free from artificial chemicals. It encompasses a wealth of sustainable and ethical benefits around soil health, wildlife, animal welfare, health and supporting small scale farmers and producers. As @soilassociation put it, it's 'food as it should be'.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ How important is organic to you? What are your motivations for choosing organic products?
  • RECIPE - Roast Carrot Biryani ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our organic carrots are brought to life in this brown rice biryani with korma paste, sweet dried apricots, coconut chips and a minty yogurt dressing. Wholesome, comforting bowl food which is on the table in 30 mins. Tag us if you give this a go! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You'll need (serves 2): ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 150g brown basmati rice ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 shallot, peeled & finely sliced⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2 tablespoons korma spice paste ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 400g carrots, peeled & halved lengthways, then chopped into angled pieces ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 lemon⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 10g mint leaves, finely chopped ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 170ml yogurt⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 20g dried apricots, finely chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 tomato, roughly chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1 biryani spice mix (1 teaspoon garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon black onion seeds, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 200g spinach⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 10g toasted coconut chips⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Fry the shallot with the korma spice paste in a saucepan for 2 mins. Add the rice and 600ml of boiled water. Add salt, cover and simmer for approx. 25 mins, until tender. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Toss the carrots in a roasting tray with 1 tbsp oil and the juice from half the lemon. Season and cover the tray tightly with foil. Roast for 20 mins until tender. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Mix the mint leaves in with the yogurt and season. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ After 20 mins, remove the carrots from the oven. Remove the foil, stir in the tomato and biryani spices and roast for a further 5 mins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wilt the spinach in a frying pan. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Stir the spinach, carrots, apricots and coconut chips into the rice. Check the seasoning and add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Serve in deep bowls with a swirl of yogurt. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #livelifeontheveg #organic #riverford #veggie #vegetarianrecipes #veggierecipes #veggiebowl #vegetarianeats#plantbasedmeals #biryani #biryanilovers #indianfood #quickdinner #weeknightdinner #30minutemeals
  • Are Iceland’s palm oil promises just greenwash?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Last spring Iceland hit the headlines when they pledged to remove palm oil from all own-brand products by the end of 2018. The coverage continued later in the year, when their TV advert exposing the effects of the palm oil industry was banned for being ‘too political’. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Fast forward to February 2019 and Iceland’s palm oil promises are hitting the headlines again, but this time it’s not playing in their favour. They have been exposed for continuing to sell goods with palm oil as an ingredient, but in new packaging in which they have removed the Iceland label. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A BBC investigation found 28 own-brand products in store with palm oil or fat in. When questioned, they claimed they have fulfilled their promise but these are old stock, which "obviously have a longer shelf life than fresh and chilled food lines".⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ However, they also found non-frozen perishable baked goods like cakes and hot cross buns on their website with palm oil in, all available to purchase online. One of which was even promoted as ‘new’.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Their palm oil promise followed a similar plastic pledge which states they will be plastic free for own label products by 2023. These sustainability pledges are clearly part of a strategy to target conscious consumers, but is it all just greenwash? What do you think?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo courtesy of @orangutan_foundation ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #palmoil #palmoilfree #sustainablefood #supermarkets #orangutan
  • Groundnut Sweet Potato Bake & Black Rice⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Nutty-tasting black rice is nutritious and also tastes amazing alongside this spicy sweet potato bake, with its umami (savoury) flavour that comes from the peanuts and tamari. This dish freezes well, should you have any leftovers!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ From next week's vegan recipe boxes.
  • Guy's news: Cursed greens & Wicked Leeks From being a straw-chewing yokel working in a muddy backwater in the 80s, when few cared about how their broccoli was grown, we now find ourselves at the centre of many debates. The surfeit of opinions but lack of reliable information around provenance, seasonality, sustainability & soil can be frustrating when you're in the thick of it every day – so we're putting our 30+ years’ experience into a online magazine/forum for debate about sustainable food, called (not too provocatively, I hope), Wicked Leeks. Let us know what you think & any topics you’d like us to cover. Other than that, it's been a bad month for greens. Some escapee cows spent the night feasting on salad in our tunnels; what they didn’t eat or trample, they crapped on. In my younger days I might've tried to pick around the damage, but modern food hygiene correctly dictates that all must be scrapped. We just about have time to replant & get a new salad crop before planting tomatoes, chillies & peppers in April, but over the next 2 months there will be fewer salad bags than usual. Further south, for our Italian growers in Calabria & Puglia, a very cold winter has delayed or destroyed the broccoli crop. We're desperately short of greens, leaving us scouring our home fields. A crop of cavolo nero, harvested in the autumn & never ploughed, has sprouted back from side buds to produce a second crop of smaller heads which are still tender & make good eating (if slow picking). We're also girding ourselves to pick through a field of chard; it looks good as you walk past, & tastes great, but closer inspection shows half the leaves are damaged by wind, frost or disease. This either makes harvesting very slow, or necessitates a lengthy operation at the farm for nimble-fingered sorters. Thankfully, the purple sprouting broccoli (PSB) is coming along well. Guy Singh-Watson

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