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

1 tablespoon chopped chives, basil or tarragon

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the asparagus by breaking off the end of each woody stalk and chopping the rest into 1.5cm pieces.

Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente, adding the asparagus 3 minutes before it is done. In the meantime, beat the eggs together well. Drain the pasta and asparagus, transfer immediately to a large warmed bowl and add the eggs, Parmesan and some salt and pepper. Mix well. The heat from the pasta will cook the eggs. Sprinkle with the herbs and serve immediately, with extra Parmesan.

Stir-fried Asparagus (#ulink_dfd57401-9f7a-521e-bcb9-d74b179eddd0)

Other vegetables in season could be added to bulk out this simple stir-fry – try sugarsnap peas, broccoli or spinach. Serve with grilled fish or chicken and rice.

Serves 4 as an accompaniment

1 bunch of asparagus

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 teaspoon brown sugar

a pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)

1 small can of water chestnuts, drained and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

a bunch of chives, cut into 2cm lengths, and/or some chopped wild garlic leaves

2 tablespoons soy sauce

sea salt

Prepare the asparagus by breaking off the end of each woody stalk and then cutting the spears in half. Heat the oil in a wok, add the asparagus, sugar and some salt and stir-fry over a moderately high heat for about 3 minutes. Add the dried chilli, if using, followed by the water chestnuts, garlic, chives and/or wild garlic leaves, plus 3 tablespoons of water, and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the soy sauce and serve immediately.

Easy ideas for asparagus

♦ Toss asparagus spears in a little olive oil, then cook on a ridged griddle pan or barbecue until tender. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and season lightly.

♦ Serve cooked asparagus topped with a poached egg, a couple of slices of prosciutto and a few Parmesan cheese shavings, plus a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper.

♦ Serve cooked asparagus with Pine Nut Salsa (see Easy ideas for artichokes (#litres_trial_promo)).

♦ Individually wrap boiled asparagus spears in a slice of smoked salmon or good ham.

Beetroot (#ulink_5e408ea8-62b6-51a2-9595-5be7a2443ea8)

When I met my wife as a sassy punk rocker, I was particularly taken with her bright orange hair. It turned out that the colour was the result of dyeing it with beetroot juice. Hair is not the only thing that beetroot dyes; ensuing trips to the loo can be alarming, perhaps explaining why the culinary potential of beetroot is only recently being appreciated beyond Eastern Europe.

The first sowings of beetroot are made in February under heated glass, then planted out in April ready for picking in July. Subsequent field sowings keep us going through the summer and up until November, before the first hard frosts. The size of the beets varies enormously, determined by sowing date and density, in combination with the fertility of the field and the growing season. The beets are traditionally stored for winter use in a clamp covered with straw, to mimic life in the soil. If they are harvested carefully and at the right maturity, then stored at the right temperature, they will keep until April and still taste pretty good.

Storage and preparation

Mature beets will keep for several weeks in a cool vegetable rack, provided they have not been damaged by washing. If you are not planning to use the tops, it is best to twist them off to avoid drawing water from the beets and making them soft.

In the Field Kitchen, Jane uses beetroot pretty much all year round and has converted many a beetroot hater (though she has been defeated by the resistance of Landscove Primary School pupils, whose school dinners we provide). The summer-crop beetroot is best used in a salad or just eaten warm as a vegetable. As the winter progresses, the roots out of store lose some of their freshness of taste and can dry out a little and become soft. This is the time for a hearty soup.

Beets will bleed and lose flavour and goodness from cuts. If you are boiling them, it is best just to wash them gently and boil without trimming the root, leaving an inch or so of leaf stalk if they come bunched. Depending on size, they can take 20 minutes (golf-ball size) or up to 40 minutes or more (tennisball and up) to cook. The warm beets can then be easily (even pleasurably) slipped out of their skins by squeezing them under a cold running tap.

The simple alternative to boiling them is roasting: put them in a baking dish containing about 5mm water, cover with foil and roast in a moderately hot oven for about 45 minutes, until tender.

Beet tops, if fresh and free from disease, can be sweated with garlic and oil in the same way as perpetual spinach. They are a bit more ‘robust’ (some might say tough and bitter), requiring more cooking, but can be good.

Beetroot Gratin (#ulink_3669dd94-1985-59e2-979c-7f5bb502ce1e)

Possibly one of our most popular dishes in the Field Kitchen, this is very good with roast beef or smoked fish. You could add a teaspoon of freshly grated or creamed horseradish with the cream and garlic.

Serves 6

1kg beetroot, peeled

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

100ml double cream

2 sprigs of summer savory, chopped (or use rosemary or thyme)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Thinly slice the beetroot either by hand or with the slicing attachment of a food processor; it should be about 2–3mm thick.

Mix the garlic with the cream in a small pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for about 10 minutes. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Put the sliced beetroot in a bowl and add some seasoning. Add the cream mixture and the chopped savory and mix thoroughly so the beetroot is coated with cream. Arrange in a 30cm gratin dish, cover with foil and bake in an oven preheated to 160°C/Gas Mark 3 for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the beetroot is tender.

Beetroot Haters’ Soup (#ulink_4a79a90f-42d6-55c7-b19c-8af637654eae)

This recipe was sent to us by a box scheme customer. Who it is, we don’t know, but please come forward. It’s a delicious soup and very quick to make if you have some cooked beetroot to hand. If you don’t have any cooked beetroot but still need a quick soup, try it with the same quantity of finely grated raw beetroot.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 potato, peeled and diced

2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped

grated zest of 1 orange, plus extra to serve (optional)