Gloucestershire food with Rob Rees October 2010

From sloe gin and crab apple schnapps to a juicy celebration of National Apple Day, Rob Rees regales with tales of the fresh October larder in Gloucestershire.

What an amazing month October is for the foodies in Gloucestershire. The climate changes dramatically, as does the landscapes of our hillsides, valleys and farms. Our county is alive with produce grown from the rich pastures now touched by some early frosts and dazzling autumnal sunshine.

This October began with a feast of a celebration in the form of British Food Fortnight, a time for all to reflect on how much the pound in our pocket can make a difference to local producers. And what's more, the month continues with Chocolate Week, British Leek Week and on Thursday 21 October 2010 it will be National Apple Day.

Gloucestershire has an amazing variety of apples – about 180 according to Gloucestershire Orchards’ Charles Martell at the last count, and National Apple Day will see events taking place across the county, giving you a chance to make your own juice, taste varieties of the fruit and take part in juicy cooking competitions.

I love to cook apple tartin – candied apples topped with puff pastry, served with vanilla ice-cream. You can also make apple crisps by slicing apples very thinly, dipping them in a thick sweet stock syrup and then baking slowly for 6 hours at 80 degrees in an oven. For something even simpler, apple muffin baking will engage the whole family.

The wild harvest is extreme in October. The crab apples turn a sunset red and become perfect to mix with vodka and spices for a home made schnapps.

Sour foraged sloes also need a gentle piercing with a needle, a soaking of gin and to be hidden in a dark space for six months to hibernate and become the traditional sloe gin.

Then, of course, there are the damsons and greengages ready to be made into jams and jellies or perhaps simply dried by stoning and cooking for 4 hours in an oven at 90 degrees.

Cavelo nero, ruby red and green kales are thick in the allotment at the moment – rich in iron and goodness and simple to pan fry with a touch of butter and a grating of nutmeg. Savoy cabbages with their dark, corregated leaves are quite sweet when sautéed with olive oil, finely chopped garlic and perhaps a touch of chilli powder. I also love braised cabbage served with the early season game meats such as grouse and pheasant.

And don’t forget that end of summer season cabbages can also be made into a sauerkraut for a perfect Christmas gift. You will need a good dry store area to let the fermentation begin, but the delicious end result when pickled with some quality white wine vinegar is more than worth the wait.

Autumn is a wonderful season for us here in Gloucestershire. A time for producers to be really proud of what they have achieved during the year and a real harvest festival for us all to enjoy.

See you again in November for more scrumptious recipes and tips from across Gloucestershire.

Rob Rees
12 October 2010