A Riverford vegetable box is a box of fresh organic vegetables delivered directly to your door. I made a chicken and beetroot curry with some of the contents.

These days fruit and vegetables are available all year round. It is easy to get food that is not in season. By choosing food that is not in season we are missing out on taste. Seasonal food is much more flavourful and it is also cheaper.

Identifying fruit and vegetables that are in season is not always easy. When you have lots of choices how do you pick out what food is in season? Riverford are organic farmers who deliver fresh fruit and vegetables to your door. The produce is seasonal so every box will be different from the last. It is a great way to try the best flavour of the season and get inspiration for new recipes. Organic farming is also better for the environment.

What’s inside the Riverford Vegetable Box

I got the small vegetable box (£10.95). This contains six varieties of vegetables packaged so they arrive safely. Packaging is minimal which is great.

Inside the box were:

potatoes
leeks
calabrese broccoli
mixed chard
cherry tomatoes

It is a great selection of vegetables that I would use normally and some that were new to me. The box also has a leaflet with news from the Riverford, tips for storing the vegetables and ideas on how to use them. There is also a recipe to help you make the most of the vegetables. This time it was a recipe for aromatic and beetroot curry. My recipe for chicken and beetroot curry uses this as the inspiration.

As it was my first vegetable box it came with a Riverford Autumn and Winter Veg Book. This is a fabulous book which is full of recipes and hints about Autumn and Winter vegetables. If you are not sure how to use some of the vegetables you will find inspiration in this book. This is a lovely idea and so nice to receive with the box.

How many meals did I get out of the Riverford vegetable box?

From my Riverford vegetable box I was able to make four main meals. So what did I make?

The leeks and potatoes made a lovely leek and potato bake which is one of our family favourites. It is also a lovely warming dish for the winter. The chard and beetroot went into the chicken and beetroot curry, the recipe for which is below. Roast beef for Sunday lunch went nicely with the broccoli and chard. The chard also went into a chicken stir fry. Any remaining chard went into sandwiches for lunches. I also put the cherry tomatoes in the lunch boxes as a snack.

What else do Riverford deliver?

Riverford delivers a wide range of organic produce. You have the choice of fruit boxes, vegetable boxes and meat boxes. If you prefer you can get a combination fruit and vegetable box or a meat and vegetable box. These come in a range of different sizes, small, medium, large and bumper so you can choose a box size to suit your families needs.

If you are lacking inspiration for your meals why not try a Riverford recipe box? These contain all the ingredients you need to make either two or three meals for two people. The portions are generous and when I tried one of these boxes I was easily able to feed my family of three.

Making a chicken and beetroot curry

Chicken and beetroot curry is quite easy to make. The only thing that takes time is roasting the chicken and boiling the beetroot. If you are short on time just substitute ready cooked chicken and beetroot and you will have a meal that is ready in about fifteen minutes. It would be a great way to use up left over chicken from a Sunday roast.

Beetroot is one of those vegetables that I don’t normally cook from scratch. It is easy to prepare, just give it a scrub then boil in water for around thirty minutes. You know it is ready when it is soft. The beetroot has a lovely earthy taste which is perfect for a winter day.

To make the curry chop up some onions and gently fry them until soft. Add some curry paste and then the beetroot which is cut into slices. Stir up then pour in the coconut milk. Simmer this for a little while then add the chard and chicken. Let the chard cook until it wilts slightly then sprinkle with coriander and serve with rice. It is a lovely filling meal, perfect for a cold day.

Chicken and beetroot curry recipe

Chicken and beetroot curry

Alison Maclean

A warming winter curry which will bring a touch of colour into the winter months

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
2 tbsp oil
2 onions
4 tbsp mild curry paste
500 g cooked beetroot
400 ml tin of coconut milk
125 g mixed chard
corriander to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and leave to cook for 30 - 35 minutes until the juice run clear.
Whilst the chicken is cooking wash the beetroot and put in a pan of water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for around 30 minutes until the beetroot is soft
Drain and cut the beetroot into small wedges. (You might want to wear gloves or you will get red fingers!)
Peel and chop the onions.
Put the oil in a pan and fry the onions until they are soft.
Add the curry paste and stir though.
Add the slices of beetroot to the pan and mix the spices though.
Add the coconut milk and cook for ten minutes until it thickens.
Stir in the chard and let it wilt.
Chop the chicken into pieces and stir though.
Season with salt and pepper and chopped fresh corriander.

Notes

Serve with rice or nann breads.

Have you tried a Riverford vegetable box before? Let me know below.

Why not pin the recipe for later?

I was sent a Riverford vegetable box to try. My opinions are honest and my own.

Using a Riverford vegetable box to make chicken and beetroot curry