Gloucestershire food with Rob Rees May 2009

In May, The Cotswold Chef Rob Rees will be eating, rather than rolling, his favourite Gloucestershire cheese. Asparagus is in season for a short time, while broad beans, new potatoes and baby carrots will be a sweet start to the summer.

I adore the month of May, it fills me with a sense of optimistic expectation. As the chilly weather disappears we can start to sip evening tipples in our gardens and begin to anticipate the abundance of foods that the forthcoming summer months will bring.

In Gloucestershire this month the cheese rolling will, of course, be one of the biggest events – although I prefer to eat cheese rather than roll it!

We have so many varieties worth trying, my top three cheeses of the moment (and, yes, they change regularly) are: Tinglestone – produced by Melissa Ravenhill in Minchinhampton is a soft cheese with a piquant hint that fizzes in the mouth; Ruddle Court – produced by the Hill in Newnham-on-Severn is a lovely camembert-type cheese which, when left to ripen, creates a tasty mushroom bloom; and Single Gloucester is a creamy classic produced with style by Godsells in Leonard Stanley.

As for cooking in May – especially during Vegetarian Week from 18 to 24 May 2009 – I can’t wait to get my hands on asparagus. When buying, look out for tight bundles with tips huddled together that are clean and free from blemishes. Simply steam the spears and drizzle with lemon juice and the classic hollandaise sauce for a dish packed with taste and nutrients. Here in Gloucestershire you should be able to negotiate a price as low as £1.25 for a bundle – so it’s great value too.

Broad beans are also starting to arrive on the scene. These little parcels of wholesome taste, delicately wrapped up in a velvety jacket, are stunners. The delicate and sweet early season beans can be eaten raw, and they are real brain food for those under pressure as exam time starts looming.

Naturally sweet baby leaf spinach will also be starting to appear on market stalls, mix the raw leaves with natural yoghurt, a grating of nutmeg, crispy strips of Adeys Farm bacon and sweet cherry tomatoes and you have a great salad.

Alternatively, simply wash and par boil some of the new season baby carrots and serve them with grated orange zest, caraway seeds and chopped coriander and warm with a drizzle of olive oil.

Cauliflowers are snow white during May, so there’s no better month to follow traditional cauliflower cheese recipes. I make mine similar to a Welsh rarebit mix, by reducing some Minchews cider with chopped onions, then adding cream and milk, before simmering. Grate in some single Gloucester a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon of Tewkesbury mustard. Coat the par boiled cauliflowers with the sauce, grate some extra cheese and bake in a hot oven till golden and crisp.

And finally, English new potatoes all dirty, earthy and heavenly can be dug from our gardens or bought at markets across Gloucestershire this month. Packed with flavour and nutrients, just wash and par boil the beauties in their skins. A steaming bowl of new potatoes with melted butter, a touch of cracked black pepper, garden mint and a cool glass of Viognier wine will certainly provide a perfect highlight to one of my favourite foodie months.

See you again in June for more heavenly food highlights from across Gloucestershire.

Rob Rees
5 May 2009