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

few ‘novelty’ vegetables that taste better than the more common relatives. It is in season through the late summer, autumn and early winter but is easily damaged by hard frosts.

      Cape broccoli

      Cape broccoli produces purple, calabrese-like heads in November or March, depending on the variety, when calabrese is out of season. It is fairly winter hardy but lacks the flavour of romanesco and can lose its colour when cooked, turning from a deep purple to a less appetising brown. The heads tend to be smaller than romanesco or cauliflower and looser than calabrese. The greens surrounding the heads can make good eating.

      Storage and preparation

      Calabrese in particular can go yellow in a matter of hours, usually as a result of stress. Whether in the field or indoors, this is usually because of a rise in temperature. So keep it cold, in which case it is usually good for about a week. It doesn’t affect the flavour much if it goes a little floppy, but if you get a seaweedy whiff off it, I’m afraid this is probably because of something unattractively named ‘head rot’. It may still look okay but will not taste so good.

      Romanesco keeps well, longer than calabrese (more like cauliflower). Purple sprouting broccoli lasts for 4–6 days in the fridge, while cape broccoli needs eating within a few days. The stems tend to be the best bits; if they are large, peel off the outside with a potato peeler and cut them into sticks. The centre of romanesco has great flavour – it just needs slicing into similar-sized bits.

      All these vegetables are best blanched for a few minutes, then finished off in various ways (see following pages). They are delicious in Asian-type dishes such as stir-fries, with ginger, soy and chilli, and also good roasted.

       Broccoli, Bean and Pasta Soup

      A lighter, quicker version of the Italian pasta e fagioli, with lots of broccoli added for freshness and colour. You will need good chicken stock for the best flavour. To make the soup more substantial, you can serve it over some toast drizzled with olive oil.

       Serves 6

      3 tablespoons olive oil

      1 onion, chopped

      6 garlic cloves, crushed

      ¹/₂ teaspoon dried oregano

      leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme

      500g broccoli, finely chopped (including the stalks)

      2 × 440g cans of haricot or cannellini beans, drained

      1 litre chicken stock

      100g small pasta shapes (or use broken spaghetti)

      2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

      sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

      Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook gently for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Add the herbs and broccoli and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the beans and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10–15 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until it is al dente. Season well. Serve sprinkled with the Parmesan.

       Warm Salad of Romanesco, Grilled Leeks and Haricots

      We always wonder what to do with the alien of the broccoli family. This recipe developed out of desperation and we were all pleasantly surprised with the results.

       Serves 4 as an accompaniment

      4 leeks, trimmed and cut lengthways in half

      1 romanesco, divided into florets

      3 tablespoons cooked haricot beans (or cannellini)

      1 tablespoon chopped parsley

      2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

      2 tablespoons olive oil

      1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

      sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

      Cook the leeks in a large pan of boiling salted water for a few minutes, until just tender, then drain and dry well. Heat a ridged grill pan, place the leeks on it and grill on both sides until ridge marks appear. Remove from the grill, cut into strips and set aside.

      Cook the romanesco florets in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well and toss with the grilled leeks, white beans, parsley, vinegar and olive oil. Season and sprinkle with the Parmesan, then serve.

       Annie O’Carroll’s Roast Calabrese with Chilli and Soy

      This dish comes from Jane’s friend, Annie, who used to run Fig restaurant, in Islington, London, but has recently emigrated to Devon. It is very quick and easy to make.

       Serves 2

      350g calabrese (broccoli), broken into florets, stalks cut into thick batons

      1 tablespoon olive oil

      2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

      ¹/₂ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

      ¹/₂ tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)

      2 tablespoons soy sauce

      Toss the broccoli in the oil, spread it out on a baking tray and roast in an oven preheated to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli and sesame seeds, if using, and mix through. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle immediately with the soy sauce and serve.

       Braised Broccoli with Bean Curd

      Jane felt we should include a recipe with bean curd because of our proximity to Totnes and its New Age lifestyle. Whether you circle dance or not, this makes a delicious vegetarian main course.

       Serves 4

      1¹/₂ teaspoons cornflour

      150ml vegetable stock

      1 tablespoon rice wine or sherry

      2 tablespoons soy sauce

      1 tablespoon sesame oil

      2 tablespoons sunflower oil

      2 garlic cloves, chopped

      2cm piece of fresh ginger, grated

      1 chilli, finely chopped

      350g broccoli, broken into florets, stems peeled and cut into batons

      1 red onion or 3 spring onions, chopped

      250g firm tofu (bean curd), cut into cubes

      1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted in a dry frying pan

      sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

      Mix the cornflour with 50ml of the stock, then stir in the rice wine or sherry, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.

      Heat the sunflower oil in a wok, then add the garlic,