Our allotment is churning out veg at the moment and it’s gathering pace by the week. The beetroots have been the highlight so far – big fat ruby beauties that we’ve really savoured.
We’ve used them for healthy juices mixed with carrot, apple, celery and ginger, but also for the more indulgent brownies. But I was on the lookout for another idea when I found a recipe for Beetroot Tzatziki in Everyday and Sunday recipes from Riverford Farm, a book I had on my review pile.
It’s the kind of book I’d previously not have really looked at, but with the glut of peas, beans, potatoes and courgettes coming our way, it now seems like an essential part of my collection.
The resulting beetroot tzatziki was vivid, punchy and fresh – different to anything I’d ever tasted before. I really love it and thought it went well as a side with freshly baked quiche, but also as a chunky dip.
My vegetarian lot weren’t convinced, but my fellow meat-lover Arlo rated it highly also. As did my friend Jenny who was over for the weekend from Brussels for my birthday – and I don’t think she was just being kind!
So before I review the book, here’s the recipe…
Beetroot Tzatziki (Jane Baxter for Everyday and Sunday recipes from Riverford Farm)
400g cooked and peeled beetroot (I roasted mine whole, skin-on, in the oven for about an hour until soft)
250ml Greek yoghurt
1/2 red onion, very finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp chopped chives
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grate the beetroot coarsely and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Season well.
I’ve put mine in a big jar in the fridge and it’s kept beautifully for well over a week now!
Book review: Everyday and Sunday recipes from Riverford Farm by Guy Watson and Jane Baxter
In case you’ve not heard of them, Riverford Organics was set up in Devon by farmer Guy Watson originally delivering veg boxes to 30 of his local friends. They now deliver an astonishing 47,000 boxes a week to customers around the UK through their network of sister farms. Impressive.
This latest book is the follow-up to the successful Riverford Farm Cook Book, written jointly by Guy Watson, and Jane Baxter who’s head chef at the Field Kitchen there.
The aim of the book is to tell you what vegetables are in season from month to month, and how to make the best of them in your cooking.
Who is it for?
Adventurous cooks not scared of using veggies like celeriac or kale. I’m thinking the type to have a veg box or their own allotment.
The mix of Everyday recipes with Sunday recipes reflects the authors’ wishes to provide a spread of food fit for every occasion – but I’m guessing they’re serious foodies if something like Coconut Pancakes with Mango and Prawns is an everyday meal in their house. But as they point out in the introduction they hope that some of their unusual sounding recipes might become as everyday as the seasonless spag bol.
If you’re wracking your brains with what to do with the more unusual contents of your veg box then this book will be brilliant for you. And after my delight at the unusual beetroot tzatziki, I feel much braver about trying everything else!
Easy to follow?
It’s a very well laid out book. Each month is given its own chapter with an at-a-glance list of recipes for quick reference. There is then a chatty intro detailing what’s in season, along with some informative and ethical bits on the side. There’s a brilliant section in each chapter called Quick and Easy Ideas featuring one stand-out vegetable/fruit from that season as a basis for a few recipes.
Then follows the Everyday recipes, finishing up with the Sunday recipes. The instructions are clear and ingredients not too long. My only quibble is trying to keep the wretched book open and flat while cooking!
Family friendly?
On first inspection it might seem totally un-family friendly because the recipes are unusual and the flavours unfamiliar – Duck with turnips and marmalade anyone?!
But on a closer leaf through the pages there are some delicious sounding crowd pleasers like Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Root Vegetables, and some ingenious ways of getting veg into kids like the Cabbage, Bacon and Potatoes along with some very non-frightening jacket potato filling suggestions like leek and mustard – yum!
Most likely to cook
Next on my list to make is Risotto Cake, then once the courgettes start invading it’ll be courgette fritters and stuffed courgette flowers.
Least likely to cook
Anything involving turnips
Would you buy it for a friend?
Friends with veg boxes and allotments would thank me for this! I know I’m going to find it so useful…
Rating out of 10
7
Call me picky, but it would have got an 8 had the book been easier to hold open – paperbacks are really awkward as practical cookery books!
Everyday & Sunday recipes from Riverford Farm is published by Fourth Estate
Thanks for my review copy!
***THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED – NO MORE ENTRIES THANKS***
WIN WIN WIN!
I have TWO copies of Everyday & Sunday to give away to my readers…
1. For a chance to win please comment on this post telling me about your favourite vegetable and how you like to cook it
2. For a second chance to win please tweet this post “Win Riverford Farm latest cookbook @cookingkt (insert URL of post here)” and comment HERE telling me you have done so along with your twitter username
3. For a third chance to win please follow me @cookingkt on Twitter and comment HERE to tell me you have done so.
***THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED – NO MORE ENTRIES THANKS***
This giveaway is open to all readers with a UK mailing address. The winners will be chosen using an online randomiser and announced in a subsequent post. As I am allowing multiple entries the randomiser may choose the same person twice, in this case I shall pick another winner until there are two separate winners.
When commenting please leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.
I am running this competition on behalf of Fourth Estate who will be responsible for sending the prizes to the winners. Their decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
There is one main way to enter and several ways to get bonus entries. You must leave a separate comment for each bonus entry otherwise they will not be counted.
***THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED – NO MORE ENTRIES THANKS***
Closing date: 10pm Sunday 31st July, 2011
Good Luck!
oooh there are so many I love all veg except runner beans! Any way swede and carrott simply mashed together with a little knob of butter and lots of pepper is my favourite!
I love cauliflower in classic cauliflower cheese x
Asparagus – steamed.
I love french beans – steamed
What a coincidence! I was just reading a flyer for Riverford Farm as we’re staying near there on holiday this year and hope to sample the food at the restaurant. Our favourite vegetable is the humble potato – so versatile! We love rosti, wedges, mash, boulangere, potato pancakes etc etc ( plus hubby doesn’t like pasta or rice!)
I love buttered leeks!
Tweeted @cattish1
Also following @cattish1 🙂
Sweet Potato for me, roasted with some garlic and rosemary
Butternut Squash just simply roasted with herbs and chilies, the perfect side dish to any main meal.
I love all veggies too, but i have to agree with Sarah W (post 2) – cauliflower cheese is AWESOME, especially if you make it with cauli & broccoli and add some bacon bits 🙂 mmmmm…..
I’ve tweeted your giveaway @pipersky1 🙂
I already follow on Twitter @pipersky1 🙂
Cauliflower cheese
Favouite veg is Peas, simple, but so useful, eat raw, eat pods, make minted pea soup, add to so many dishes but my favourite way is with roast beef and yorkshire puds.
Mushrooms! I like to bake them with pesto 🙂
Potatoes have got to be my favourite. I like them in just about any form and and they are so versatile. Delicious.
Roasted celeriac has to be my favourite if we’re talking about cooked vegetables, but if we’re talking about fresh vegetables it’s peas fresh from the pod (had so man from my veg garden this year already!). 🙂
I’m already following @cookingKT on twitter… 🙂
I just tweeted too! (@JennyEavesMSE) 🙂 x
I absolutely love roasted potatoes…not very glamorous I know, But they do hit the spot every time!
Roasted beetroot – yummy! In our house they are thrown in the roasting tin on a Sunday, whole, along with potatoes and other veggies. Then peeled when brought out, some arrived in our box this week – roll on Sunday!
i love roasted peppers stuffed with rice and mushroom
Creamy mashed potatoes
Mmm, garden peas are my favourite veg at the moment – not cooked though. Picked from our garden and eaten straight from the pod. My favourite cooked veg is savoy cabbage stir fried with a little ginger.
Beetroot, I make a great beetroot pickle.
Cabbage cooked but still crunchy and tossed with wholegrain mustard. Wonderful!
Has to be parsnips, roasted in the oven with a little olive oil
new potatoes
My favourite veg is asparagus. I like to keep it quite simple really by just blanching it and then grilled a little on my griddle pan. And then naughtily drizzled with butter x
Tweeted – @LilLeese1
Potatoes, either as a classic jacket done in the oven so the skin is nice and crispy or a lovely cheese & potato pie
@littleboo_21
Following you on Twitter
@littleboo_21
Tweeted too
@littleboo_21
Hmmm, garlic – roasted!!!
Tweeted – GeorgeBee69
At the moment it has to be courgettes becase i am just starting to get them fresh out of the garden. I love them sliced and lightly sauteed with garlic, lemon and olive oil. Served on a piece of toasted sourdough – yum. Even my 3 year old son will eat them like this.
That is one crazy looking jar of food!
Corgette cooked in a little lemon butter
YUM!
I tweeted
@kiki_725
I follow on twitter
@kiki_725
I love mushrooms fried in a tiny bit of garlic butter
I have tweeted as @toffeefudge1
Following on twitter as @toffeefudge1
Sweet potato mashed with pesto – yum!
My favourite vegetable is brocolli, boiled and then put in the oven with a thick cheese sauce on top.
I have tweeted:)
claire_trevor
I am following you on twitter
claire_trevor
purple sprouted broccoli, steamed with almonds and then drizzled with a dressing made of chillies, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil – yummy!
have tweeted the competition @maxineflossy
following on twitter @maxineflossy
definately broccoli. No fancy recipe. Just boiled in some lightly salted water until just tender but al dente. Goes with so many things!
following on twitter @angiesandhu
have tweeted the competition @angiesandhu
Leeks – with lots of butter, salt and pepper.
carrot – raw :D!
I love purple sprouting broccoli, boiled/steamed
@BBDIVA1977
HAVE tweeted @BBDIVA1977
following on twitter @BBDIVA1977
Butternut Squash – roasted with Balsamic Vinegar and oilve oil
I love parsnips honey roasted
@pepicola3
Have tweeted – @pepicola3
Carrots al dente with butter
@elliepeabody
I love so many vegetables! Celeriac, grated and mixed with mayonnaise, salt and crushed garlic as a side salad is just WONDERFUL!
My favourite vegetable is a parsnip and I love it roasted. (@pandcands)
Tweeted! (@pandcands)
I follow you on Twitter as @pandcands.
My favourite veg is carrot! I love to cook them in sauce so that they are soft and full of flavour. Carrots in stews are just the best 🙂
Have tweeted, @flamingice48
Am following you on twitter, @flamingice48