British farmer and founder of Riverford Guy Singh-Watson. Photo: Smith & Gilmour
Forty years ago, Guy Singh-Watson gave up a job as a management consultant in New York, chucked his keys into the Hudson river and returned to the family farm in Devon. In the subsequent four decades he has been instrumental in making Riverford one of the largest organic veg box distributors in the UK. Today they deliver an impressive 70,000 boxes a week. In 2023, the company became 100% employee-owned and Guy spends much of his time now campaigning for the benefits of the organic movement and the disadvantages of, for instance, supermarkets.
To mark its four decades, the company has put together a new cookbook, Easy Evenings, aiming for quick, simple and nutritious meals. They promise that all the dishes can go from veg box to the table in 40 minutes or less. There is no one chef here; rather, the ideas come from the team and all are thoroughly tried and tested. One of the dishes, a Dutch stamppot, was created by Hotze, who is the fleet manager for the delivery drivers and won a staff competition for a recipe to be included in the book. “I’m half Dutch, so I decided to share a traditional winter warmer from the Netherlands,” he says. “It’s a great way to sneak loads of veg into a meal."
On every page there is a tantalising recipe that I, for one, wanted to try out immediately. In the end I picked this orzo stew to cook last Sunday and have been eking it out over this week for packed lunches. A strong recommend from me.
Words by Jane Ferguson
Photographs by Smith & Gilmour
Riverford’s orzo bean stew
A twist on minestrone, this veggie-friendly one-pot supper contains orzo, a small rice-shaped pasta that’s ideal for adding to soups and stews. Combining the orzo with beans makes for a robust and filling meal, and any leftovers are good for a packed lunch the next day.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 large leek, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 Romano peppers, deseeded and diced
1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
½ tbsp finely chopped rosemary
3 tbsp sundried tomato paste
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
200g orzo
1 litre vegetable stock
400g tin of cannellini beans
100g kale or spring greens, finely shredded
Bunch of fresh basil, to garnish
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Parmesan cheese or veggie/vegan alternative, grated, to serve
Method
Warm 3 tbsps of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the leek, celery, carrots and a good pinch of salt, then cook gently for 10 mins, until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add the peppers and cook for a further 5 mins.
Using a peeler, pare 3 long strips of lemon zest into the pan. Add the garlic, bay, rosemary, tomato paste, smoked paprika and vinegar, then cook for 2 more mins.
Tip in the orzo, stock and beans, including any liquid from the tin. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper and cook gently for 15-20 mins until the orzo is plump and tender. Add a dash more water if the orzo appears to be soaking up too much liquid as it cooks.
Finally, add the shredded kale or spring greens and cook for 2-3 mins until the leaves have wilted and softened. Taste and tweak the seasoning with salt, pepper and a couple of squeezes of lemon juice, to your liking.
Pluck out the lemon zest and bay, then divide between deep bowls and tear over some basil leaves. Serve with grated Parmesan or vegetarian/vegan alternative.
Variations
This is also great made with chicken stock instead of veggie and some shredded roast chicken. Use any other small pasta, such as macaroni, pastini or even pearl couscous.
The Riverford Cookbook: Easy Evenings is published by Carnival (RRP £26; to order at a discount go to the Nerve Bookshop)