I have always been a big fan of the Riverford vegetable boxes, and up until a few months ago we were ordering the vegetable and fruit boxes weekly. They are a great way to encourage the children to try new foods that they might not necessarily have come across before. So when we were sent a Riverford recipe box, I couldn’t wait to see what treats were inside.
We received the original recipe box, containing everything we needed to make 3 recipes:
- Tomato , mozzarella and basil tart
- Beef and potato massaman curry
- Chorizo and roasted veg salad
You receive the exact amounts of each ingredient needed for the recipes, so there is no waste, no measuring and no guess work. You simply grab what you need from the box and off you go. The box is divided into sections so everything is easy to find – all the herbs and spices are in one section, oils etc in another, veg and meat kept separately – you get the idea. The boxes also have a cool pack inside, so if you’re not home when the box is delivered nothing will go off or be wasted. You can simply grab the box when you get home and unpack into the fridge or cupboards.
We couldn’t wait to get started on this box, and decided to make the tomato, mozzarella and basil tart first. Because the original box recipes only serve two people, we cooked this later in the evening when the children were asleep. It would be nice to see a family box added to the range, so you could cook recipes for the whole family.
The tart was super easy to make. It looked and sounded much more complicated than it actually was, and I really enjoyed making it. The recipe cards are very easy to follow, and broken down into small steps so you don’t feel overwhelmed. I love that all the ingredients are pre-weighed so I can just grab the pots and tip them in, rather than having to try and weigh and measure during cooking. We actually adapted the recipe slightly, adding in some peppers and mushrooms that needed using up.
The tart was a huge success and didn’t last long at all. The children would enjoy this too I think, and so we will be trying this one again without a doubt. The chorizo salad was another hit, and the curry was also delicious, although I would personally tone down the spice slightly next time, but that’s just personal taste.
The original recipe box is priced at £39.95, which is pretty good value for 3 meals of this standard, especially considering you are using organic produce. It is definitely something we would consider using on a more regular basis once we have moved house and got settled again. Like I say, I would love to see the addition of a family box too, with enough ingredients to feed more than 2 people.
Riverford have just launched a new campaign, designed to encourage the handing down of cooking skills between the generations as some research suggests that this is on the decline.
I know there are lots of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles with great ideas about how to get kids interested in cooking savoury meals from scratch, so why not share them via the Riverford Cook Together hub?
That looks amazing, and how awesome that everything is measured out already!
Thanks for hosting 🙂
Jayne @ SMABL recently posted…Bepanthen Baby Sun Cream Review
I have never tried a fruit and veg box but have always been tempted to give them a try. I love the idea of getting the exact ingredients that you need for the meals and the tart looks gorgeous #triedtested
Tracey Williams recently posted…Ravensburger Puzzle Review – Happy Days Tenby
This is such a fab idea and would be perfect for us. I always struggle with dinner inspiration so this would be great. Thank you for hosting #TriedTested
Becky x
I do love Riverford boxes, and this adaptation is such a lovely idea. I particularly like that the product in the boxes are the exact portions so there’s no waste. That’s so a good idea and I can see these meal ideas working for all of the family, which is always important, because no one wants to make two meals.
Thanks for hosting #TriedTested
xx
tracey at Mummyshire recently posted…Black & White Photo Project #12
What a great idea, always wanted to try something like this myself. Get fed up of cooking the same thing week in week out so this would be a lovely change.
The Breastest News recently posted…Review: Nibbling Jewellery
Sounds like a fantastic idea, would be great if it was suitable for the whole family.
Caroline recently posted…GoGo Dragons Norwich 2015
Mmmmmmm that tart looks yummy. I think they are amazing. We tried them and I was doubtful whether Boo would eat new things but she did. She is now a big fan of chickpeas and butter beans. I would definitely get one again. They made me look forward to cooking 🙂
Farmers wife and mummy recently posted…#Farm24 Telling the World What We Do
We used to have the original Riverford veg boxes about five years ago. They were good but we stopped as we weren’t always using everything and supermarket prices for organic veg started to become more competitive. These boxes look fab and I do like the idea of everything being there for a set recipe, ready to go. And that tart looks delicious! #TriedTested.
Mummy’s to do list recently posted…A super-flattering new swimsuit
Love the look of this and its well priced! Would be really interested to see a family one – I would love to outsource what shopping in our house 🙂 lol #TriedTested x
Mudpie Fridays recently posted…Rocket Stained Glass Effect Decorations
This sounds really good! Love how everything is already measured out! Thanks for hosting #TriedTested x
This sounds great. We had the Hello Fresh boxes for a while which sound very familiar, I loved that they got me making meals that I wouldn’t usually make with ingredients that I wouldn’t usually use!
Boxes like this are such a good idea.
#TriedTested
Leanne Cornelius recently posted…Chicago Town Pizzas – New Releases
I’ve never used a Riverford Recipe box but I’ve used similar and it worked very well. The tart looked amazing. Thanks for hosting #triedandtested
John Adams recently posted…Five ways you can tell I’m a stay at home dad
This sounds pretty good even for someone like me that is rubbished in the kitchen LOL I would probably give it to my husband to prepare the meals if we want to give it a go! 🙂 Thanks for hosting, xx
#triedandtested
A Moment with Franca recently posted…Blogging Update & Amazon Voucher Giveaway
I used to get “graze box” for a while, this looks like something else I need to try. 🙂
I don’t generally cook (I’m actually horrid at it and often almost burn down the kitchen! 😮 ) but I know hubby would love this sort of thing! 😀
#TriedTested
ERFmama recently posted…Why a dog owner needs this tool!
Oooo Looks like a great package but I’m guessing I’ll be waiting a while before they make a box to feed 7… They’d need a truck to deliver just to us!! #triedtested
Claire recently posted…The 11 things tag… Find out a bit more about me!
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There will be 6 of us eating meals soon too, maybe they will provide us with our own personal trucks? Lol
I’ve not heard of those boxes before, but they look really good. Having the exact ingredients for the recipes sounds like it makes life that bit easier.
The DADventurer (Dave) recently posted…I’m A Dad And Dads Don’t Babysit (Unless We’re Paid)
Those look amazing dishes, I love cooking things from scratch and organic too, makes it even nicer 🙂
Oh wow! I didn’t even know Riverford were doing recipe boxes. I really want to give it a go – that tart looks lovely! x
Donna recently posted…Asda’s Little Angels now has the Mumsnet Seal of Approval!
This sounds great – I hate weighing things out, so it’s much easier that everything is done for you. I agree though that it would be nice to have enough ingredients to make the meal for the whole family.
Alana x
Alana recently posted…Lonely Planet Ultimate Bucket List: How many can we tick off?
This looks great, I hate cooking but even I might enjoy it with this!
Jenni – Odd Socks and Lollipops recently posted…10 things to do before I am 30