3 seasonal veggie and vegan recipes from Riverford

Excellent, organic, seasonal veg is nothing without some great recipes to go with it, so here are three from the ‘unashamedly nerdy about veg’ Riverford Organic Farmers, writes Sean Russell

Chargrilled spring veg with green sauce and ricotta (Riverford)

Are all vegetables equal? The answer is no. So much of the food we eat uses chemicals. It’s flown halfway around the world, and when you add it all up it carries a heavy carbon footprint and often little nutrition. So some vegetables are, let’s face it, better than others. Organically grown, in-season veg is kinder to our planet, and better for our bodies.

Riverford are “unashamedly nerdy” about veg and have been growing organic vegetables for over 30 years. They take care of the soil and wildlife on their land, they don’t use “artificial nasties” on their crops, and they seek to provide only the best of the season’s produce. And best of all they will deliver it straight to your doorstep.

What does this mean? Riverford boxes – which include a seasonal veg box, vegetarian and vegan recipe boxes, and BBQ options – are low-waste, zero air-freight, entirely ethical, and packed with taste.

The question, then, is what to do with all that great veg? We have you covered. Here are three easy veggie recipes from Riverford themselves.

Chargrilled spring veg with green sauce and ricotta

Start with the peas and broad beans because you'll have to spend time popping them out of the pods before you can pull everything together. That said, it can all be served warm or at room temperature, so there is no need to rush or try and multitask for the sake of it. Do take the time to get the heat right though: everything cooks fast, so you can cook over a medium/high heat. Avoid leaping flames – you'll just incinerate things before they have the chance to cook through. You want strong glowing embers with a few flickering flames.

Makes: 4 servings

Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients

For the spring veg:

Bunch of radishes

300g garden peas, in their pods

500g broad beans, in their pods

200g asparagus

125g spring onions

2 little gem lettuces, cut into wedges

150g ricotta – optional

1 lemon

For the green sauce:

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

Small bunch of chervil, finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped capers

1 tbsp chopped gherkins

4 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Light your BBQ – you want to wait until the flames have started to die down, so you should have about 30 minutes or so.

2. Mix all the dressing ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.

3. Wash the radishes well and thread them onto skewers (cut any very large radishes in half first). If you are using bamboo skewers, it is worth soaking them in water for at least 20 minutes before use, so that they don’t burst into flames. Brush the radishes with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Brush the pea and broad bean pods lightly with oil, too.

4. Place the radish skewers, peas and broad beans directly on the bars and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning regularly. It doesn’t matter if the peas and beans look like they are blackening too much as the pods will be discarded. If the radishes look like they are starting to blister, move them to a cooler part of the griddle. When ready, remove and keep to one side.

5. Brush the asparagus, spring onions and lettuce wedges lightly with oil. Season with salt and pepper and place them directly on the bars to cook for 4-5 minutes, turning frequently until tender. It will depend on the heat so use your judgement. The asparagus and onions should be nicely coloured and become noticeably suppler; the lettuce should be lightly coloured and half wilted.

6. Pop the peas and beans out of their pods. If you are feeling thorough, you can take a few minutes to slip the papery skins away from the broad beans, too. Cut the radishes into thick slices. Slice the spring onions and asparagus into 2 or 3 pieces. Throw everything in a bowl with the lettuce wedges and spoon over the dressing. Crumble over the ricotta, if using. Serve with fat wedges of lemon.

Whole grilled broad beans with chilli and lemon

Whole grilled broad beans with chilli and lemon (Riverford)

This is a great way of cooking broad beans without having to waste the pods. Whole pods are cooked on a hot griddle or directly on a BBQ to allow for charring on the outside, while the beans steam nicely inside their parcels. Lemon, chilli and olive oil add a big hit of flavour; don’t be shy with them or the salt.

Makes: 2 servings

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

1 handful whole broad beans

1 lemon

1 chilli

Olive oil

Sea salt

Method

1. Start by peeling away the stringy part of each pod, by pinching the top or tail of the pod and pulling down each side of it, as you would do with a sugar snap pea.

2. Toss the broad beans in olive oil and salt.

3. Heat a griddle pan until it’s really hot and add the broad beans; you can also cook them directly on a BBQ.

4. After about 2-3 minutes (give them a turn halfway through to char both sides), the outsides should have charred nicely and the pods should turn a vibrant green. The beans inside will have steamed nicely in their natural parcel.

5. Pile onto a plate and finish by sprinkling over chopped chilli, lots of lemon zest, a little lemon juice and sea salt.

BBQ blistered ratatouille

BBQ blistered ratatouille (Riverford)

Makes: 6 servings

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

4 red onions

1 garlic bulb

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

800g ripe tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 small glass of white wine

2 aubergines

3 red peppers

4 courgettes

Red wine vinegar to taste

30g basil

Method

1. Light your fire and let it burn down to glowing embers. Feed one side with fresh wood or coals and let them catch so that you have two distinct areas to your fire, one hot and the other gentler.

2. Place your onions directly onto the embers to cook. Leave the skins on and turn them at regular intervals, until the outsides are blackened but they feel soft when squeezed with tongs. They can take up to 40 minutes.

3. Cut off the top centimetre of the garlic bulb and sit it on a sheet of foil. Drizzle with oil and season with salt. Gather the foil up to create a parcel and crimp it closed. Tuck it into the embers, next to the onions. It’ll take 20-30 minutes to soften.

4. While the onions and garlic cook, quarter the tomatoes and toss in a large, heavy roasting tray with a generous glug of olive oil. Season well and throw in the bay and white wine. Place the tray directly on the grill bars over a steady non-direct heat; above the embers is ideal. They’ll slowly collapse down into a chunky sauce. This will take about 25 minutes. Add a dash of water if they look like drying out and catching at any point.

5. Rub the aubergines and red peppers lightly with oil and place them directly on the bars of the BBQ, over a medium-high heat. Keep turning every few minutes to get an even cook. In about 20 minutes (depending on size) they will start to soften and blister. They are ready when they feel perfectly soft. Put aside until cool enough to handle.

6. Cut the courgettes in half lengthways. Griddle them over a medium-high heat, flat side down, for 3-4 minutes, until nicely marked. Flip over and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

7. When cool enough to handle, peel the burnt onions until you are left with the tender hearts. Roughly chop them and throw into the tray with the tomatoes.

8. Peel the blackened, papery skins away from the aubergines and peppers and discard. Remove and discard any seeds from the peppers. Roughly chop them on a board and add them to the tray too.

9. Cut the courgettes into chunky dice and throw them into the tray.

10. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the flesh from the garlic skin like toothpaste – a strangely enjoyable task. You’ll end up with a sweet, sticky purée. Fold it into the ratatouille to your taste.

11. Tweak the seasoning with salt, pepper and a dash or two of red wine vinegar, to taste. Tear in the basil just before serving.

Ember-baked roots with garlic and carrot tops

Ember-baked roots with garlic and carrot tops (Riverford)

Makes: 6 servings

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

500g bunched beetroots with tops on

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

500g new potatoes

2 bay leaves

A few sprigs of thyme

1 lemon, finely zested

500g bunched carrot with tops on

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1. Burn your BBQ down to embers. Give all the veg a wash and scrub clean, removing and reserving the tops from the beets and carrots. The veg will all cook at varying speeds, so prepare those with the longest cook first and add them to the fire as you go.

2. Separate the beetroots from their tops. Keep small beetroots whole; cut any larger ones in half. Rub the beetroots with salt. Lay out a large double-layered square of foil and place half of the leafy tops in the middle. Sit the beets on top, drizzle with a little olive oil and season well. Cover with the rest of the leaves. Fold the foil over and crimp into a tight parcel. Stab the parcels 3-4 times, to allow some smoke in. Bury the parcel in the glowing embers and cook for 40 minutes, or until tender – it will depend on their size.

3. Lay out another large double-layered square of foil and sit the potatoes in the middle. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously. Add a couple of bay leaves, a few sprigs of thyme and a few slices of lemon. Fold the foil over and crimp into a tight parcel. Bury them next to the beets and cook for about 40 minutes or until tender.

4. Rub the carrots generously with salt. If any are particularly large, split them in half, lengthways. Lay out a third double-layered square of foil and sit the carrots in the middle. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Fold the foil over and crimp into a tight parcel. Stab the parcels 3-4 times, to allow some smoke in. Bury the parcel with the other veg and cook for about 30 minutes or until tender – again, it will depend on their size.

5. While the veg cooks, finely chop the carrot tops with the garlic, lemon zest and a pinch of salt.

6. When the veg has cooked, take a few minutes to slip the skins off the beetroots and cut them into wedges. Throw all the veg together in a serving bowl and garnish with the carrot top mixture.

Get inspired and make the most of your organic ingredients with recipes from Riverford