Gloucestershire food with Rob Rees August 2010

From blanc-simmered globe artichoke to classic blackberry crumble, Rob Rees shares some of his best seasonal recipes with Gloucestershire foodies this August.

Still the dry weather continues in August, and the fruit and veg season remains topsy turvy with only a few heavy downpours of the wet stuff keeping the soil fertile. But with a bank holiday in sight, that might all be set to change…

One of the biggest sufferers of the weather has been raspberries. I adore these delicious soft fruits, and I would go as far as to say they are my favourite, although many of the summer varieties came and went in a blink of the eye. The wonderful pick-your-own farm shops in Gloucestershire soon sold out and we now need to wait a few more weeks for the autumn varieties to yield.

If you are lucky enough to find some raspberries at the farms, markets or your own allotments and gardens relish them. They are perfection served at room temperature with a caramelised shortbread biscuit and a glass of chilled Madeira wine. I also adore them very gently warmed in a little raspberry coulis, with a touch of grenadine, orange segments and shredded basil. I know you are thinking this chef has lost the plot, but trust me it really does work.

Another tip if you are after a truly special sauce to serve with something like a rich lemon posset desert on a Sunday is to gently warm 150g caster sugar with 100ml water until it just starts to caramelise, then very carefully stir in 350g of washed raspberries. Next bring this caramel to the simmer again and stir – and you’ll have instant sauce that when allowed to cool really packs a punch.

The blackberry is part of our food heritage as it adorns both the rural and urban borders of Gloucestershire. These berries too have peaked early this year, and are arriving at perfection right about now. The old wives tale is that when the ‘devils spit’ shows on the blackberry you should no longer pick them – this should about second week in September at the latest this year.

Rather than going all ‘cheffy’ on you, I think the classic blackberry crumble takes a lot of beating. Simply wash and gently simmer blackberries with a sprinkling of caster sugar, a few drops of lemon juice and a touch of vanilla, and then layer the gooey mixture into a baking dish with a topping mix of flour, oats, demerara sugar and a dusting of cinnamon. Delicious.

If you don’t have a sweet tooth, baby leeks will be ready for harvest in August too – trimmed of the beards and the very top end dark green leaves, they are perfect griddled with a touch of rape seed oil, fresh dill and a tiny splash of clear Cotswold honey just before serving.

Another quick and easy to do recipe is to lightly poach baby leeks with a touch of whipping cream, before adding finely chopped shallots and topping with diced Cerney goats cheese or Daylesford cheddar – fit for a king when served with some local Old Spot ham.

Finally, get your hands on a globe artichoke this August. While many people might be terrified at the prospect, this thistle related vegetable is a real meal in itself. Trim the stalk as close to the bulb as possible, pull off the outer leaves and either steam until tender or cook in a ‘blanc’ – a mixture of flour, water and lemon juice the consistency of a thin wall paper paste!

The steamed version is best served with a generous drizzle of melted salted butter, lemon juice and chopped parsley – eating the leaves and base, but none of the hairy bit in the middle.

The blanc-style version, meanwhile, will see the artichoke cooked until just tender then lifted from the blanc with the outler leaves and the hairy bits discarded, and only the bulb eaten. This bulb when sliced, pan fried with anchovies, chopped parsley and garlic for a fantastic accompaniment to salmon, skate or some local Great Farm chickens – a real August highlight.

See you again in September for some back to school tips and food highlights from across Gloucestershire for the start of autumn.

Rob Rees
13 August 2010