Gloucestershire food with Rob Rees May 2011

From the juiciest English strawberries to crisp freshly-picked asparagus, find out why this May is turning out to be an unusual month according to The Cotswold Chef, Rob Rees.

With a few warm and dry months already behind us, May has started out a little topsy-turvy in 2011 – meaning that many of the late spring and early summer fruits and vegetables have peaked early, providing us with some unseasonal specials in Gloucestershire.

British asparagus is a classic example – traditionally in abundance throughout the whole of May, this year farm shops have started to sell home grown varieties in April, with crops peaking just about now. Look out for good quality asparagus which should provide a crisp ‘snap’ if broken in half, and avoid stems which are too thick as these can be tough and woody to eat.

To cook asparagus, trim off the first base inch and discard – or put aside for a soup. Then peel away the first layer of skin to as far as about two inches from the tip. Gently steam and drizzle with melted butter, a squeeze of lemon and a twist of cracked black pepper. Serve with a crisp glass of Three Choirs or Cloud Nine bubbles and you have a delicious and very seasonal Gloucestershire dish.

Is it Wimbledon time – not just yet! However, English strawberries are already in the farm shops and markets of Gloucestershire, and all evidence points towards a bumper crop this year – with the heat boosting the sugar levels to make them even more juicy and sweet than ever before.

Some of the best places to find Gloucestershire Strawberries include Shepherds Farm Shop, Over Farm Market and Wotton Farm Shop. Normally most pick-your-own seasons start with gooseberries, but this year the classic strawberry may well beat it to the market.

Another stunning county food that normally lingers with us for about six weeks is wild garlic, but blink and you’ll miss it this year. Now a very trendy product on many a menu, there are some basic rules to remember if you’re going foraging. Firstly, never dig up the bulb, as this would be against the wild flower law, and only harvest the wide perfumed green leaves as well as the tiny flowers.

Wild garlic leaves are perfect lightly blanched in boiling water and then instantly transferred to icy water (to protect the colour). Pulsed in a blender until smooth with a handful of roasted pine nuts, grated single Gloucester cheese and generous glugs of olive oil they make a perfect pesto drizzled over Chestertons’ rib eye steak, Great Farms’ roasted guinea fowl or even some lovely rose veal from Pancake Farm. The flowers can be simply picked and allowed to dry to give a real piquant seasoning and twist to presentation.

Plus, this month don’t miss fresh products such as baby leaf spinach, spring cabbages, sweet carrots and new potatoes – including the first waxy Jerseys. And, national Vegetarian Week, which begins on Monday 23 May 2011, will give even the most hardened carnivores a chance to experiment with meat-free meals.

As for me I am off to India to showcase Gloucestershire’s food and drink culture to Asian, Australian and Middle Eastern food writers, and while the logistics certainly aren’t easy, promoting the area’s foodie highlights almost takes care of itself when you work with suppliers like Severn and Wye Smokery, Freeminer Brewery, Bensons Apple Juice, Cirencester Cupcakes and so many more…

See you again in June for some sizzling summer highlights from the Gloucestershire larder.

Rob Rees
16 May 2011