Beginner Bento: Orange Heart Edition

Continuing with my attempts to learn to make pretty lunches for myself that I want to eat and keep me full. This was my lunch for the last Thursday volunteer day. There is a root vegetable frittata with onions, carrots and beetroots, all organic out of our Riverford box. Next to that in the garishly purple silicone cup are some baked cherry tomatoes. The recipe is a variation of the Baked Cherry Tomatoes With Pesto which itself is a variation recipe in the wonderful The Just Bento Cookbook. There is a fried rice (because I've been craving it sooo much) in the top tier with leeks and mushrooms from the box and peas from the freezer (still organic though). My fruit was a satsuma.

Love Lunch

I'm still trying to come up with ideas for my boxes. I've got a board on pintrest specially for lunch ideas. Cutting a heart out of the satsuma is on that board. Actually I wanted to do flowers but hearts are easier to cut freehand so... hearts it is. I saw it here first. I'm grateful for all the inspiration I've found and ideas I've been given. Next week I switch to part time so I'll be doing more boxes and really needing all the inspiration and ideas that can be thrown at me.

Local Loves: Apple Day

Apple Day was started in 1990 to celebrate apples and orchards and the local food landscape. It falls on 21st October and this year Cockington held their festivities on the 16th. Yesterday. And we loved it. Apple Day is one of our favourite days of the year. Better than Christmas in my opinion. Cockington court is turned over to local craft people, food producers and cider... it's a great atmosphere with everyone sharing the food, drinks and fun. We've blogged about it before  (go check out that post for pictures of the rangers working the amazing Victorian apple press) but every year is different and we managed to stuff ourselves with different foods. Onward to Apple Day!

"Boyfriend! Stop taking pictures and hurry up!"

I Bought A book: Everyday and Sunday

Cartwheels, that's what I thing of when I hear there is a new Riverford recipe book coming out. I especially liked the concept for this one. separated seasonally, each month has recipes that are 'everyday' and easy to put together and a one or two more special 'sunday' feast. For fellow vegetarians the book is a treasury of great vegetable dishes although there are some meaty offerings and, annoyingly, one of 'our most popular vegetarian main courses' the Chard, Spinach and Blue Cheese Torte contains 50g of Parmesan. So not vegetarian then. However I'm glad to see the the vegan variation on the courgette fritters and can't wait to give them a try.

Hot and Spicy Days

The unseasonable warmth means that I have been drifting between naps on the couch and sitting reading on the balcony leaving me with no time too hot to cook. But I still have to eat and in this April heat that means one thing: spicy food. Hot and spicy food was made for hot and spicy days.

I've been playing with the Broiled Blackened Tofu from Appetite for Reduction. Cooking it until my smoke alarm sets off and eating it down as fast as I can. To temper the heat and add a little touch of freshness I picked a salad of baby leaves from the balcony (another thing helped along by the heat!) I also picked some mint and parsley for the dressing for these Moroccan carrots, a recipe that came in my Riverford box this week. The carrots, in their warm but not too spicy dressing bridged the gap between the hotter than hot tofu and the fresh greens.

The Second Box to Grow

Last Thursday our Riverford box to grow arrived. We got one last year so we knew what to expect: tough as nails plants that keep on giving. I ate many meals last summer courtesy of our box to grow. This year I don't expect a difference although I was a little disappointed that there are fewer herbs this year.

The Box Arrives

Al Fresco

Last summer I was getting one big salad from the balcony a week. It was great and I loved it. I can't wait to get back into the habit this year as the weather warms up and the lettuce becomes an unstoppable force. But we aren't there yet. Fortunately a head of lettuce from Riverford is currently filling in the gap

Partly bought, partly home grown: a new season salad

I'm a believer in big salads. Salads have to fill you, they have to have lots of greens (my favourite part!) crispy veggies, herby stuff and tasty, tasty toppings. Bring me dressing. Croutons are optional. Grains are good. Cheese is decent. Falafel are better. So today's salad was lettuce, spinach falafel, balsamic vinaigrette and a few yums from the garden

Pickled Garlic

Garlic season, for me, started with wet garlic. First in the box, then on the balcony and, of course, in much of what I ate. Wet garlic is garlic that is planted late (December on the balcony, though many of my books say early spring...) and so doesn't have the growing time to form cloves. In looks it's like the garlic equivalent of spring onion. It has a delicious fresh taste about it and I've heard rumours that it is nice raw. Although when I tried it my response was to wave at my mouth and go 'ohh ohh oh' if anything I think it's a bit more pronounced than the dried stuff.

Then came the fresh new seasons stuff. It has cloves but it isn't dry yet. I got mine from the supermarket. Next year, with any luck, the balcony. But this year it looked stylish in the supermarket and I knew I had a recipe for pickled garlic in Preserves so we bought some. Not the most thrifty thing to do but I was interested in preserving garlic in a way other than drying. So I did. With bay leaves foraged off a local tree and spices scraped together out of my cupbord. I now have this lovely amber brew sat in my pantry.

Of course the last lot of garlic we get is the standard dried stuff. Which can turn almost any dish into pure heaven. Garlic, it seems, was made for preserving in one way or another.

Chimichurri Baked Tofu

I cooked another fantastic meal courtesy of Viva Vegan and it got me out of my rice funk too.



I've been wanting to try the Chimichurri Baked Tofu since I got the book and magically this week all the ingredients fell into place. That is to say they arrived in the veg box. The Chimichurri sauce itself is an absolute revelation. It's tangy, slightly sweet, fresh tasting. The perfect type of food for these disturbingly warm sunny days.

It's served with a salad of home grown leaves and pea tendrils topped with radishes from Riverford. And the rice. Perfect. I've been screwing up rice all over the place lately. So I followed the instructions to the letter, no scaling, no deviation. It worked perfectly but I'm slightly disappointed I still haven't figured out rice.

Spurple Pouting Broccoli

This post is very close to becoming a rant about the weather. I'll try and suppress it. But here appears on my plate something I've usually seen a lot of by now only this year it's been gone. The harsh winter is again to blame.

Purple sprouted broccoli is a gem. It's delicious, it's wonderful, it's lovely. And it always goes down well in our house. No I haven't got Stephen to try it but the hamsters and I both love it. Of course they have much smaller quantities.

So this is the first time it's appeared on my plate. Simplicity then. Oil was heated in the frying pan, a crushed garlic clove added, then the PSB. About quarter of a cup of water was added and boiled off until that wonderful vivid green of steamed vegetables appeared. Then, in the dry pan, I let the leaves crisp and caramelize around the edges to add a touch of sweetness. I cooked a good three quarters of the packet like this (much more than is pictured) and gobbled it up.

As an amusing side dish I had the Asian marinated tofu from Vegan with a Vengeance. As directed I boiled the leftover marinade with a tablespoon of corn flour to make a delicious gravy.

Grow Box

Around here exciting things come in boxes. Today especially. Our Box To Grow came. It was packed with all these goodies

"Lettuce Eluarde (Red Oakleaf) x 3
Lettuce Hardy (Green Oakleaf) x 3
Rocket x 2 Mustard x 3
Rainbow chard x 3
Swiss chard x 3
Spring Onion x 3
Beetroot x 4
Parsley x 2
Mint x 2
Coriander x 2
Parsley (Pot) x 1
Mint (Pot) x 1
Coriander (Pot) x 1
Peas (Packet of seeds) x 1
Radish (Packet of seeds) x 1"

I have some space in some pots going free and I went out to buy one more. But I knew it was going to be a squeeze. I didn't know it was going to be this much of a squeeze though! I sat there, the plants and myself wilting in the April sun trying desperately to invent room. Here is what I went for...


The Beefsteak Tomatoes where also due out today so I desperately thought what the hell can I inter crop with them. The tomatoes take up lots of vertical height but they are thin enough to have some company, at least with some fast growers. In the small pot I spread around some spring onions and beetroot. The beetroot will only end up small but I have another two varieties elsewhere so I'm not loosing anything to produce jewel like little ones.

The large pot has one of the Beefsteaks towards the camera. Again it's the idea of tall and thin. Surrounding it, again quick croppers, are spring onions in a rough semi circle. Beyond that, on the side with the sea, I went for fat but short as not to overshadow the toms. I put in the Chard and some Rocket which I put next to the chard and then got muddled with... oh well, it will live. With luck.
The next planting point was around the Blackcurrant. In it's first year it's going to be unproductive so some short lived Green Oak Leaf lettuce, coriander and parsley will give us something from the space while hopefully keeping weeds down and reminding us to water.

Then I really was just inventing space. I filled up one of the boxes it came in with the mint, and one of ours from last year. It may get a more permanent home. We'll see!


Then with some of my perennial herbs went the mustard and the rocket. The space was kindly vacated by the mint above and a rosemary that we have stripped this winter. I think I'll have to get a bigger one this year. But for now I'm glad of the space. Another box I sowed peas for pea tendrils. Yes we did watch The Edible Garden last night and I am wondering what the chances of an non-alcoholic peatini. Again, as for it's longevity we'll just have to see.

Okay now everyone, group shot!

Baking with Courgettes

I've not been a fan of the watery courgettes we've been getting in the box recently (have I mentioned: damn winter!) but we've had some fun baking with them. Stephen made Chocolate Courgette Cake and I went for the Zucchini Spelt Muffins from Vegan Brunch.

Rather dense so have a drink by your side when you eat this one. Or, as I did, leftover chocolate sauce from pancake day.

Garden stuff

A £1 bag of crocus bulbs, looking smashing in spring. And there is other exciting gardening news too although, I admit, I'm being more than a little Devon-centric here.

Tomorrow is the 4th annual Totnes Seedy Saturday. Being in one of our favorite towns and having seeds. Well how could we miss it? I've packaged up all of our leftovers. We're taking cauliflower, mint, chives, swede, marigold, nasturtiums, sun flowers, and dwarf French beans.

And speaking of some of our favourite places in Devon Riverford will be offering boxes to grow this spring. We're looking at the the small veg one. Although most of the balcony is already mapped out for this year and we'll probably end up with more seeds tomorrow but what can it hurt?

Unless the balcony collapses.

Free Friday: Just might be the most amazing vegetable...

Sorry about that, the themes got lost when my Dad arrived. Where was I? Free friday is today so I thought I would blog about the very nice side dish that I had with my veggie burger tonight.

Romanesco! It came, naturally, in the box. Despite looking like an over-achieving cauliflower it's taste comes out closer to broccoli, in my opinion at least. Here I heated some oil with some garlic, chilli and oregano as per the Riverford Farm Cook Book and tossed the blanched romanesco in it.


Turns out, much like all vegetables, I like it slightly overdone but the chilli and garlic was a definite hit.

It's served with what I think is my new favourite bean burgers. And trust me here, I eat a lot of bean burgers. It's spicy, with a silky texture and just enough bite from bits of been and vegetables. It's from Goodlife and was topped with ketchup and lettuces.



I may as well say it now, because you'll have a good few months of it: I apologize for the winter lighting.

Veg In Focus: Sweetcorn

Watching Gardener's World last week made me all kinds of sad. They were picking corn directly from their plants, soaking it and grilling it. Eating it fresh. It's a dream that is going to have to wait for another time I'm afraid. Corn is wind pollinated, so would need more space then I can dedicate to it. Although banks of corn on the balcony would look rather cool, I'm going to have to wait for land.

I've written before about the sorry state of buying corn in the UK. It's problem is, quite simply, this. Look at that. Corn protectively wrapped in plastic, only missing it's natural packaging and protection. The stuff that keeps it fresh, and allows for my favourite cooking method. But apparently the consumer prefers it like this.


The most simple and satisfying preparation is to peal back the leaves, rip off the silks and soak in water (according to Veganomicon half an hour will do, but I start the soaking before I go out and cook when I get home) then peal back the leaves again and rub oil on to the corn in a motion that look surprisingly rude, sprinkle with salt and pepper and throw it on the grill pan for 20 minutes. I like to turn it 45 degrees after five minutes.

After that you eat it. Hold it in your hands and chew the kernels off. Not delicate but the best way to get the job done. Awfully fun too. It's pictured here along side the Spinach and Potato squares from Vegan Brunch on my Chelsea pattern pyrex.



Although, if you are feeling more exotic you can't go wrong with this recipe. It's Sweetcorn Dhansak from Riverford. And it's lovely. Very Lovely. Definitely deserves a taste if you have some sweetcorn and lentils lying around.

So how do we solve the problem of plastic wrapped corn in the UK? Same old easier said than done answer: grow it yourself or find a good supplier. I'm fortunate to be able to have two. There is, of course, Riverford and then there is Shute Fruit who you can either go and see in person or on the Newton Abbot Market.

This year I've preferred Shute Fruit's offerings as they have been smaller and less full of aphids (not vegan! Shows it's organic though) but while the season lasts I'll take sweetcorn from wherever I can. As long as it isn't in plastic.

Bread of the Week

Riverford have started offering bread. Sorry, I just have to pause while I drool on my keyboard.

Riverford, who we love devotedly, have started offering bread with their organic veg boxes.

The bread, pause to take a look at the full incredible range, is baked fresh in the morning in either Hampshire or Devon to ensure that the south of England has a full supply of incredible organic breads.

Now we usually bake our own bread. I do a basic white loaf and, on occasion, Stephen will supplement with potato bread. But we are not above buying, especially on weekends if we take a trip down to the market.

But when tempted with freshly baked bread, made with organic ingredients, made with the excellent Shipton Mill Flour we gave in.

Poring over the catalogue we couldn't decide which loaf to order first. All but one (the Spelt, with honey) are vegan unless you are that person I always hear about at parties who considers yeast an animal. I was in favour of a malt or sour dough, something we don't usually cook ourselves but Stephen talked me round to a white batch.

Plain, perfect sandwich loaf. It's described as 'supersoft' and it is. perfect in the way I just can't make my oven hot enough to make. Sevearly yummy.

We aspire to order the other breads eventually but we are home bakers at heart. And next week I'll show you how we make our white loaf.

Beans and Rice

Today we made a visit to the Chinese shop. They didn't actually have what I went in for but they did have a nice bag of glutinous rice.

Stephen thinks that is a horrible name. He reasons that things are either gloopy or full of gluten when they are called glutinous. As it has no gluten it must be gloopy and that doesn't sound worth eating.

It is though. It's has a rich, wholesome texture. It fills you up even with the smallest quantity. Definitely perfect for summer eating.

Being summer I topped it with Stir-fried Broad Beans with Ginger from Madhur Jafferey's World Vegetarian. I reduced the amount of beans to suit my tummy but kept the sauce the same.

It was a very tasty way to eat summer. Now if only we could get some rain before the plants start a mutiny.

Spinach, two ways

I know I like to bang on about the benefits of the box both loudly and frequently but it really is awesome. The benefit I'm enjoying right now is that getting seasonal produce delivered in a big box gives me time to play with the vegetables, learn about them and enjoy their company.

Three vegetables from the box have been keeping my tummy filled this week. The tomatoes, the onions and the spinach. They can be combined in many different ways and the following two meals are spread around the world in inspiration. But they still taste lovingly of tomatoes, onion and spinach.

When I was visiting Mickey Mouse I often ate the pasta at the make your own pasta station. Sure it always began with

"....and no meat with...."

"What kind of meat?"

"No meat."

"No meat?"

"No thank you."

but it tasted good. You could combine one of three sauces and pastas with any combination of toppings you like. I often think of the number of toppings when I think I have nothing but pasta to eat. And I think of the fearlessness and the quick hands of the cooks when I throw them into a pan.

Three of those toppings are in this pasta dish. I used chopped spinach leaves, roasted red peppers, and chopped onions. I tossed them, over a medium gas, with olive oil and my spelt pasta. The tomatoes came as decoration and on the bruschetta (or toasted leftover bread wira bito' garlic on as it's also also known) on the side. The tomatoes where drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and left in the oven for two hours. They where deliciously sweet.


The next day I pounded to the tomatoes and onions into the basic curry sauce from The Asian Vegan Kitchen. The book says that it is great over any cooked vegetable so I stashed the sauce in my fridge before going out.


After I'd come home I cooked some spinach and mixed in the sauce. I was aiming for an equalish mix of the two. It paid off. It was a rich curry but the fresh taste of the vegetables really shone through.

Our obsessions

I suppose I don't need to point that out but Stephen loves potatoes. I mean loves. To him they are the perfect food and while I often consider them boring or unattractive sometimes I have to agree. When I taste them baked, roasted or cooked in parchment I feel like I'm coming to my senses. I love the potato too.

The potatoes out of the box at the moment are loose skinned. Straight out of the ground their skin hasn't yet formed its protective barrier. It makes them different in a way that a potato expert could tell you more about but not me. All I know is that it's more delicate, more adorable, more suitable to be cooked and served simply.


The first time we baked them and served them with chive butter (vegan marge actually) each time since we have followed the lead of Riverford and cooked them in parchment (recipe here, try it). Served simply with a veggie on the side or a salad. That's the way to go. Let potatoes play the main role.
As for my obsession. That's easy. Strawberries. I gave up eating out of season strawberries when I was sixteen. Shortly after it was followed by giving up eating anything that isn't British. Strawberries are expensive - to my budget at least - and I'm not going to pay for something that is mostly water. It's worth the wait. Sometime I can get them by my birthday, sometimes I have to wait until june. Either way I know it's going to be good.


I eat my strawberries with a nod to minimalism. No sugar, no cream. I grab the green bit and tear away the flesh with my teeth. If I come across a glut (although not exactly a glut in the traditional sense) then I may be tempted to make a smoothy with them or a cordial. But for now I'll just nibble at the fleash and enjoy every seccond.

The box has brought two more tastes of summer. Little gem lettuce (another adorable veg! This time of year is so cute) and bunched onions. Althought I'm a big fan of onioions I can't say they have ever excited me. Not until now that is. Amazing what a bit of green can do.

Fun at the Field Kitchen

Being slightly obsessive about our veggie box it was only a matter of time before we went to see where exactly it is our vegetables come from. The only thing that had stopped us before was transport. When my Dad came down to visit we thought we'd beg a lift by treating him to a meal.

We arrived far too early for our tour and where welcomed into the kitchen and offered drinks. The first sight of the farm already had us impressed. The sounds even more so. Any spare bit of land was home to wild flowers and the birds and bees could be heard everywhere. In fact some very naughty bees where swarming as we arrived. The bee keeper was to wrangle them later.

We had a great group for our tour. One couple had come from Blackpool with their Mum and where passionate and enthusiastic. We all begged our guide for gardening tips which he was happy to oblige us with.

While walking round we stopped at the broad bean field. He pulled up a plant for us to sample. Not the beans, it's too early for them yet, but the leaves. They had an intense flavour. Stephen described it as 'green'. I agree but I wouldn't sound so negative about it.

After a quick tractor ride (we had spent too long talking about aphid issues) we returned to the kitchen. We were sat with the group from Blackpool who began to feel very maternal about Stephen who only eats potatoes.

"But he's a growing boy"

The omnivorous amongst us helped themselves to some lamb with couscous and other bits that I didn't enquire too closely about. As the table's solitary vegetarian I had this stunning summery dish of artichokes, broad beans and tomatoes. The tomato and broad bean tasted sweet and delicate contrasting with the heaviness of the artichoke and broth. Almost too heavy for me but I'm not the hugest fan of artichokes.


We shared out the side dishes. New, Jersey potatoes baked in parchment with wet garlic and rosemary was a massive hit. We bought some baking parchment on the way home.


I also enjoyed the carrots with fennel and even the asparagus. Baby spears lay on a bed of mixed leaves with grilled tomatoes and goats cheese. It was sweet, sinful and refreshing at the same time. Don't call me an asparagus convert just yet. But perhaps, one day.


Also on the table were a fennel gratin and spinach with lemon (not pictured) I was quite happy with my one serving of them but I didn't help myself to more.

As we where lead up for desert we put our faith in seconds and ordered the chocolate almond cake. It was delicious and soft. Then seconds arrived and I got to sample this seasons strawberries fresh from the plant with meringue and cream.

Perfect.