Waiting for Riverford

We have started having vegetable boxes from Riverford Organic Farms, and it has been great! Every week we have a selection of vegetables, seasonal vegetables which arrive on our doorstep with a smiling delivery person. I had hope they would be dressed the part, the delivery man in a  smock and hat, gaiters and a straw in his mouth if not a lamb under his arm, the delivery lady in a milkmaid outfit with a yoke and our vegetables in her buckets instead of milk… but no, they are dressed as delivery people!

We could check on-line to see what we will be receiving, but I love surprises so we never know until the van pulls up outside. We have had some surprises, things we would not normally buy such as fennel and Swiss chard… this has made us more adventurous in our cooking. The produce is so good that I have taken care not to waste any; for example I now use the stalk of broccoli which previously I might have wastefully thrown away. I slice it thinly into coleslaw or salads, or steam it with other vegetables. I now make soup most days… my latest thing is to add Thai flavourings which seem to match winter root vegetables perfectly. I was shocked today to see we have run out of star anise… I was making parsnip soup with ginger, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, coconut, cardamom and coriander… and where was the star anise? All used up!

So, tomorrow afternoon the van will draw up, we will give back last week’s empty box and receive our new one… I wonder what treats will be in store for us!