Riverford Farm Cook Book: Tales from the Fields, Recipes from the Kitchen

Serves 8

700g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 tablespoons caster sugar

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teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the base:

100g plain flour

50g butter

50g caster sugar

40g amaretti biscuits

To make the base, put all the ingredients in a food processor and process to a fine breadcrumb consistency. Press into a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Arrange the apples in an attractive pattern on top. Brush them with the melted butter and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Place in an oven preheated to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 and bake for 30–40 minutes, until the apples are golden brown. Serve at room temperature.

Apple, Potato and Cheese Casserole (#ulink_ce92986b-119d-5096-a4c5-a19c0ee07985)

This recipe was given to us by Sharman, who works front of house at the Field Kitchen and takes a lot of stick for being the token veggie on the staff. We suggest serving it with some lovely pork sausages.

Serves 4

500g potatoes (any type), peeled and thinly sliced

2 onions, thinly sliced

350g apples (eating and cooking apples both work well), peeled, cored and thinly sliced

150g strong Cheddar cheese, grated

2 teaspoons sugar

200ml vegetable stock

1 teaspoon tomato purée

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teaspoon Marmite

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Layer the potatoes, onions, apples and cheese in a greased ovenproof dish, seasoning as you go and lightly sprinkling each layer of apples with sugar. Finish with a layer of cheese. Heat the stock to boiling point and stir in the tomato purée and Marmite. Pour the stock over the layered potatoes and apples and cook in an oven preheated to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 for about 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender.

Apple, Orange and Dried Apricot Crumble (#ulink_2390c5a8-e5e4-57cd-b7fe-d93819693f5b)

This little twist on a classic crumble makes a welcome change. Apple and banana also works well.

Serves 6–8

8 dessert apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm dice

1 orange, peeled and divided into segments (or diced)

juice and grated zest of 1 orange

100g dried apricots, roughly chopped

60g dates, roughly chopped

60g light soft brown sugar

For the crumble topping:

175g plain flour

125g butter

100g caster sugar

60g rolled oats

To make the topping, put the flour and butter in a food processor and whiz until the mixture has a fine consistency. Remove and place in a bowl. Add the sugar and oats and rub together with your fingertips so the mixture is slightly lumpy and not dry.

Mix the apples and orange with all the remaining ingredients and place in an ovenproof dish. Top with the crumble mixture and then bake in an oven preheated to 150°C/Gas Mark 2 for 45 minutes, until the fruit is tender and the topping golden brown.

Caramel Apple Pavlova with Pomona (#ulink_86b99ab5-4c65-5294-8cb3-bd647ea809fe)

This was devised when the soft fruit had finished and we were all feeling a little finished too, but it ticks all the boxes – especially if the caramel apples are still warm when they mix with the cream on the pavlova. If they are too hot, the pavlova will be a mess – but delicious! Peaches and nectarines can be used in the same way.

Serves 10

6 apples (any type will do)

200g caster sugar

1 tablespoon water

50g butter

2 tablespoons Somerset Pomona (or Calvados)