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Featuring our beautiful restaurant, garden and flavoursome veg. Recipes, events, veg revolution and more.

We're settling into winter at The Riverford Field

We're settling into winter at The Riverford Field Kitchen and on the farm.

Penny has taken a couple of well earnt weeks off in between tending to the winter salads in the polytunnel and keeping some mischievous rabbits at bay.

We may not have a polytunnel bursting with green vines and colourful fruit and veg, but what we have is just as beautiful.

The ceiling is covered with yellow and brown leaves and provided an extra covering to the floor where they've fallen. The harvested squash has turned from bright orange and green to toned down Autumnal hues. The last of the Dahlias has been put in a vase in the restaurant and the only remaining summer colour comes from the vibrant chillies that are still hanging on.

There's an air of contentment in the garden. The soil has done its job for another season. The frail skeletons of summer crops are still hanging on as the winter winds pick up. The tall, wispy cardoons remaining a permanent fixture on the landscape.

A moments peace also falls on the farm at this time of year before the festive rush begins. The work falls away from our peak in July and we drop from a team of 70 co-owners in the fields, to a hardy group of about 20-25 who will see out the winter.

Pulling leeks in a gale in January with ten pounds of mud on each boot requires extraordinary physical and mental resilience – but a small, hardy minority would choose work with a view, even in wind, rain, and mud, over any indoor job!

Our Christmas Wreath Workshops are all sold out, b

Our Christmas Wreath Workshops are all sold out, but don't worry as we're giving you the chance to win a beautiful, natural Christmas wreath, handmade by our talented Head Gardener and Florist, Penny Hemming.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Every wreath Penny makes is different depending on the materials she has to work with. Most of the materials she uses, she has foraged for herself in the hedgerows around the farm. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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To enter, simply like this post, make sure you're following our page and tag a friend in the comments. Each comment is an entry. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And feel free to spread the festive spirit by sharing on your stories. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We'll pick a winner at random on Friday 26th November so it will be made and delivered early December, in plenty of time for Christmas.

Ever wondered why it's so cheap to offset a long h

Ever wondered why it's so cheap to offset a long haul flight? So easy to get trees planted in a far away place? Because it's a con, argues Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson.

We can't offset our way out of the climate crisis, but Guy believes there is an incredibly simple solution to reduce the 89% of global emissions that come from fossil fuels... Watch on to find out what it is.

D I N I N G Did you know that you now book your

D I N I N G

Did you know that you now book your own table at The Riverford Field Kitchen? For many years we have enjoyed bringing people together with our shared table, dining experience, but the current climate pushed us to think differently and we had to change our service in order to keep our guests safe and comfortable.

We still offer a show-stopping, 100% organic feast in the beautiful surroundings of the Riverford farm but now its just for you and your family and friends to share.

What do you prefer making new friends on a shared dining table or the intimacy of you and your guests?

Anyone remember our Christmas floral installation

Anyone remember our Christmas floral installation last year? Created by our very talented @pennyhemming - can't wait to see what she has planned for this year.

#christmasdecoration #floralinstallation #driedflowers

Instagram post 17899136411302138

Instagram post 17899136411302138

Live life on the veg this Christmas with our festi

Live life on the veg this Christmas with our festive recipes. From the crispiest roast potatoes, and braised sprouts with almonds, to Scandi red cabbage - inspire your festive feast!

Join us for a Christmas cookery demo at the Riverford Field Kitchen to make your festive feast exceptional! Sit back with a mulled wine and mince pie as our chefs show you some nifty tricks and inspiring recipe ideas to cook your make your Christmas veg the star of the plate.

Link to book in bio.

#festiveveg #Christmasrecipes #cookerydemo #christmascookerydemo #vegrevolution

Instagram post 17900744507252533

Instagram post 17900744507252533

Here we have grilled Crown Prince squash with gree

Here we have grilled Crown Prince squash with green tahini and pomegranate. Crown prince squash have tough, steely-blue skins, rich orange flesh and a sweet and nutty flavour.

Tip: Toss the seeds with a little oil and salt and roast for 10 mins for a crisp, golden snack or garnish

Did you know that dried sunflower heads are a perf

Did you know that dried sunflower heads are a perfect treat for British birds and squirrels.

We grow many in the Field Kitchen Garden and leave them in place even when they've finished flowering.

Instead of throwing away your your wilted sunflowers, give them a second life as a natural bird feeder in your garden.

Just place your sunflowers so the seeds are easily accessible and high enough to keep them safe from prowling cats. It may take a few days for the birds to catch on, but they will. Then simply enjoy the spectacle.

We're huge fans of kale in all of it's forms in Th

We're huge fans of kale in all of it's forms in The Riverford Field Kitchen, and the beautifully blistered leaves and robust texture of cavalo nero means it's ideal to use in a multitude of ways.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In the field kitchen, one of our favourite uses is to create a puree featuring mustard and olive oil which we then use as a dressing on other roasted veg. We also shallow fry it and serve it as a garnish for added crunch.
This week we have cooked it down with garlic, olive oil and lemon juice then served it with torn mozzarella, chopped chilli & thin slices of preserved lemon.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

#organicveg #growyourown #kale #allotment #allotmentgardening #eatingwiththeseasons #Vegrevolution #cavalonero

C H R I S T M A S G I F T S Our gardening and coo

C H R I S T M A S G I F T S
Our gardening and cookery workshops make great gifts for food lovers, budding gardeners, and aspiring cooks.

Workshops include Grow Your Own Kitchen Garden, Bread-making, Seasonal Veg Cookery Demos including cooking over fire, and our Field to Fork Experience.

We are also looking forward to welcoming back our wild food forager Stu Woodman for a Wild Food Feast and Demo, plus introducing a new expert to The Riverford Field Kitchen, Naomi Devlin for seasonal fermentation workshops and How to have a Happy Gut and Immune Boosting course.

Gift vouchers also available for any of the above plus dining.

Link for more info and to book in bio or visit:
www.theriverfordfieldkitchen.co.uk

#Christmasgifts #festivepresents #workshops #cookerydemos #visitdevon #loveDevon

C H R I S T M A S D I N I N G Slow-grown winter

C H R I S T M A S D I N I N G

Slow-grown winter veg, the finest, truly free-range organic meat, home-made organic tipples, finished with a choice of festive puddings. We serve a veg-centric seasonal feast, made with ingredients grown just a stone's throw from your plate. Our set menu consists of inspiring festive dishes for your to share with your family and friends.

Our Christmas menu will be available from Wednesday 1st December to Wednesday 23rd December and can change daily depending on what has been freshly harvested.

Link to book in bio or visit our website:
www.theriverfordfieldkitchen.co.uk

#Christmasdining #festivefeast #organicfeast #festiveveg #vegrevolution #visitdevon #lovedevon

C H R I S T M A S E V E N T S Our popular Christm

C H R I S T M A S E V E N T S
Our popular Christmas wreath and garland workshops are back, and we look forward to welcoming you in person rather than virtually!

We still have a few spaces on our wreath making workshops, and a few more available on the Christmas garland workshops.

We have also brought back our festive demo & dine; a Christmas cookery demo to make your festive feast exceptional. Sit back with a mulled wine and mince pie as our chefs show you some nifty tricks and inspiring recipes to make your Christmas veg the star of the plate.

Link to book in bio or head to our website:
www.theriverfordfieldkitchen.co.uk

#festiveworkshops #christmasworkshops
#festiveveg #cookerydemo #wreathmaking #visitdevon #lovedevon

Hasselback squash, roasted grapes & orange⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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A real showstopper presented on the table full of colour and flavour. By preparing the squash in this way you create a much larger surface area resulting in crispy edges and soft inner flesh. Works perfectly as a vegetarian main or as delicious side dish.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Ingredients⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 Butternut squash⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
10 red grapes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 orange⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3 big sprigs winter savoury⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Method⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Preheat oven to 190c, carefully slice squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Brush with oil and salt and roast for 30 minutes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Add the grapes, orange slices and savoury.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Turn up the oven to 230c and roast for 10 minutes until the edges have crisped up nicely.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#squash #seasonalveg #seasonaleating #recipe #seasonalrecipe #organicveg

The restaurant walls always look amazing at this t

The restaurant walls always look amazing at this time of year as the flowers left over from spring and summer are dried and hung up. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It feels like Winter has abruptly arrived this week with the clock change at the weekend. It may not be head gardener Penny's favourite time of year, as she goes about pulling down and digging up the remains of the summer crops but there's something so comforting and familiar about the nights drawing in; warm hearty stews and seasonal stars such as squash, cabbage, leeks and bitter leaves like radicchio making a welcome return to our menu and plates.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Are you an autumn fan or do you want to go into hibernation until the warmer spring weather returns? 🍂

This little corner of the restaurant is pretty muc

This little corner of the restaurant is pretty much the only display of squash we have left as the polytunnel is looking pretty stripped back. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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All the colours, textures, shapes and sizes. So much to admire.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#squash #seasonalveg #organicsquash #organicveg #autumnveg #autumnsquash #VegRevolution

Not a timely Halloween post but @pennyhemming mode

Not a timely Halloween post but @pennyhemming modelling her loofahs!

Loofahs are part of the cucumber family and are often mistaken for them in our polytunnel. We leave them on the vine way past cucumber harvest time until the skin is dry and brown.

Then it's time to reveal the sponge inside. Gently crack and peel away the skin. Once you have the loofah, give it a good shake and the black seeds will fall out which you can save and sow next season.

You'll need to give it a good clean in water and hang out in the sun to dry. You can use in the bath, shower or in the kitchen to scrub the pots.

Head to our stories to see Penny peeling a loofah!

#growyourown #loofah #organic #sustainableveg #VegRevolution

It's that time of year that brings major change in

It's that time of year that brings major change in the field kitchen garden. All the fruits of the harvest are gone, its even too cold for the remaining green tomatoes to ripen in the polytunnel.

Head Gardener Penny has the arduous job of ripping out the remnants of plants that have served the restaurant all Summer. A bittersweet time as she remembers the successes and failures of the past season whilst looking ahead and planting the winter salads.

It's a similar story for Ed Scott, the longstanding harvest and polytunnel manager at @Riverford

"Some seasonal indicators are universal and obvious to all: the length of days, trees blossoming or shedding their leaves, and many more.

Others are more localised – such as wild garlic in the woods, or samphire on the marsh – and still others might only be felt by a few of us. This week in the polytunnels, we’ve finished picking the very last cherry tomatoes, which means I can no longer pretend to myself that it’s still summer.

Even before the last tomato was gone, we’ve been thinking about what worked well, and what we might improve. If we can find the space, we’ll test a few new varieties, to make sure we’re not relying too heavily on our old favourites; you never know when a trusted variety will go down to a new viral strain, and you should always have an equally tasty back-up plan.

The organic varieties we grow are chosen for flavour, as well as their natural resilience to disease. We don’t only prioritise maximum yields, and can make room for a cucumber or tomato that tastes brilliant, even if it has a slightly lower yield.

Whilst I am a little sad to see the end of the tomato season, it’s all a matter of perspective. Alex, Zigmantas, and the salad team have been chomping at the bit behind us as we cleared the summer plants, replacing them with chard, mustard and the like for winter salads. Having gone into still-warm soil and grown rapidly, the first of these were harvested this week."

How are our fellow gardeners feeling?

#organicgardening #fieldkitchengarden #kitchengarden #growyourown #veg #organic #seasonalveg

Here is another wonderful recipe from @ameliafreer

Here is another wonderful recipe from @ameliafreer featured in her book Simply Good For You. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Butternut, Cashew & Sage Pasta Sauce⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Cashews, once soaked, blend really well into sauces to add creaminess and so are a useful ingredient if you are wishing to be more plant based or avoid dairy. Here I’ve blended them with roasted butternut squash and caramelised onions. It’s a winning recipe to have up your sleeve and a few portions stored in the freezer for busy days.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Serves 4⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ingredients⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
60g cashews⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
400ml hot water ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-size pieces⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 tablespoons olive oil⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
5 fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried sage (plus extra to garnish)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
400g pasta of choice⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
a grating of Pecorino Romano or Parmesan (optional) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Method⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan. Pour the hot water over the cashews and leave to soak for 20 minutes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Prepare your butternut squash and place in a roasting tray along with the onion wedges and a little salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until soft.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When cooked, allow to cool slightly, then take a third of the roasted vegetable mixture and blend in a high-speed blender with the sage leaves and the cashew/water mixture. Add a little more water if it is looking too thick to blend. You are aiming for a sauce consistency. Transfer to a pan and warm through gently.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to the packet instructions and drain. Stir the sauce into your cooked pasta of choice and add the rest of the vegetables and a sprinkling of fresh sage leaves. Top with grated Parmesan or Pecorino or vegan alternative (optional).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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📸 Susan Bell
Recipes extracted from Simply Good For You by Amelia Freer published by Penguin Michael Joseph

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