I was delighted to receive a Riverford organic food box containing EVERYTHING I need to make three tasty and nutritious meals for two people.
Guy Watson, founder of Riverford. Photo copyright Riverford
Let me begin by giving you a bit of information about Riverford, kindly supplied by Emma.
Short on time? Stuck in a recipe rut? Or just want to eat well without the faff?
Our recipe boxes are a simple and inspiring way to cook.
Every week, we deliver everything you need to make 3 tasty organic meals.
Inside each box, you’ll find the freshest, seasonal organic produce, step-by-step recipe cards and all the ingredients measured out.
No waste. No missing the vital ingredient. All you have to do is cook.
5 good reasons to order a Riverford recipe box:
It will transform your cooking
Every week, our Riverford cooks come up with 3 brand new recipes. So you’ll cook something new every time.
It’s faff free
Every box comes with all the ingredients you need measured out, step-by-step recipe cards, helpful cooking tips and wine recommendations. All the joy of cooking, none of the hassle.
It’s 100% organic with 0% waste
Over 25 years of growing and cooking veg go into your box. All our fresh, seasonal ingredients are organic. We measure everything out for you, so you won’t end up throwing anything away.
You can add whatever you like, whenever you like
You can add anything from your weekly shopping list to your recipe box and change or add to your order up to 2 days before delivery.
And delivery is free.
So even if you’re not in, you can place your order and know you’ll be coming home to an evening of hassle free cooking and a great tasting home cooked meal.
My box
My box arrived and was carefully packed with fruit and veg and chilled ingredients were in a special insulated bag. Everything was fresh and of high quality. I also had a welcome pack and a recipe book, along with three recipe cards detailing how to make my meals.
The amazing and very practical way of packing the EXACT ingredients required for each meal is
such a great idea!
Braised chicken, shallots and lemon with sautéed potatoes and thyme.
Ingredients included:
1 lemon
2 chicken legs
Bag of fresh thyme
3 garlic cloves
500g shallots
1 stock cube
25gm butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar
150 mls white wine
1 bay leaf
600g potatoes
Salt and pepper*
*From store cupboard
Method
Seasoning the chicken legs well on both sides, a dash of oil was added and heated in a frying pan.
I began by browning the chicken legs on both sides.
After peeling the shallots were fried for around five minutes and the stock cube was dissolved in
250mls of boiling water ready to add. The butter and sugar were added and cooked for approx 2
minutes. The wine was added,bay leaf, stock, garlic cloves, a couple of sprigs of thyme, lemon
zest and a pinch of pepper.
The chicken was placed on top and I cooked in the oven for 40 minutes at 180oC/160oC fan/Gas
Mark 4 (You can cook on a low heat on the stove for the same amount of time if you prefer).
After washing the potatoes and chopping them into 2cm approx portions,they were boiled for
around 8 minutes. The sauteéd potatoes were cooked for 10-15 minutes in a dash of oil. A small
amount of salt and pepper and some thyme leaves were added and the poatoes placed in a hot
dish.
With the chicken and shallots cooked, a dash of lemon juice was added and the dish was ready to
eat and enjoy!
Verdict: A tasty and satisfying dish and with the chicken being organic, the flavours really shone through.
Lamb and red pepper ragu with creamy polenta.
Ingredients included:
1 onion
1 carrot
1 red pepper
1 celery stick
2 garlic cloves
oil for frying, eg sunflower or light olive*
200g minced lamb
75ml red wine
Pot of passata
chilli flakes
dried mint
1 carton milk
125g Instant Polenta
25g butter
25g parmesan
*from your store cupboard
Method
The onion and carrots were peeled. The pepper deseded and a washed celery stick was diced. 2
garlic cloves were finely chopped.
After adding 2 tablespoons of oil, I began frying the onion, celery, carrots and pepper followed by
the garlic.
In a separate frying pan, After browning the lamb on a high heat for 6- 8 minutes, the red wine was added and simmered for 1 minute. The mixture was poured into the saucepan the passata and chilli and mint was added and all ingredients simmered for 30 minutes.
The milk and extra water with a pinch of salt was brought up to a simmer and the polenta was
added and heated gently for 5 minutes.
After beating in the butter and cheese, the polenta was placed in a heated dish and the lamb ragu
was added.
Verdict: A very tasty filling dish indeed and ideal for the winter!
Broccoli and blood orange salad with leeks, celery, walnuts and blue cheese.
Ingredients included:
1 large or two small leeks
300g calabrese broccoli
salt and pepper*
2 celery sticks
2 blood oranges
70g walnuts
100g salad leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
75g Perl las blue cheese
*from your store cupboard
Method
First of all the leeks were washed and trimmed, placed in a pan of boiling water and turned down to simmer for 3-4 minutes. After removing with a slotted spoon onto a dish to cool, the calabrese was dropped into the boiling water and cooked for 3 minutes. The calabrese was then placed in a bowl of cold water to cool. The salad leaves were washed and two celery sticks were sliced thinly. The oranges were zested and the segments removed.
The dressing was made with the mustard and orange juice and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. This
became emulsified after whisking.
The salad leaves were divided between two plates and the celery, leeks, calabrese and orange segments were added. After pouring the dressing evenly, the cheese was crumbled and the walnuts added to the salad. A few strips of orange zest completed the dish.
Verdict: This was a super tasting salad, easy to make and satisfying. Chris loved it too!
All three meals were a pleasure to make and I think it is a great way to buy organic and excellent quality fruit, vegetables and meat. Vegetarian options are also available.
There are some fabulous recipes on the website and I for one will be trying out some more!
Sent in to us by Janice Rosser founder of OAPschat
