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The Cotswold Chef
Meet your local Cotswold Chef..
Rob Rees MBE is The Cotswold Chef, one of the UK's leading chefs and consultants dedicated to creating a better food culture for Britain. He balances social aspects of his work with his private interests of consultant, campaigner, demonstrator, food columnist, writer and chef. Download some of Rob's recipes below.
Summer in the Cotswolds
The summer months are just fantastic here in the Cotswolds. As schools break for the holidays the abundance of produce that adorns our shops, markets, gardens and allotments is truly amazing. The dry warm weather this year has really encouraged the growth of products early making it an even richer foodie feast this summer.
So what sort of things should you be looking out for to get the real experience of The Cotswolds?
Well on the warm days, a visit to The Cotswold Ice Cream Company could be well worth it. Such great simple flavours using local milk and fairtrade products; they claim to be from cow to carton in less than 24 hours. Set in an idyllic setting above Northleach this informal parlour is a must. You can drive to it and park in the farm buildings or it is on both a cycle and walk route of The Cotswolds.
Pick Your Own fruit is a great English tradition with many of the farms shops being members of the Big G - these are farms shops that not only sell great products but have grown them themselves. Primrose Vale is great fun with loads to do for the children, a charming farm shop (small in size but large in quality) and all the soft fruits you could want to pick. Other Big G farms can be found here. For those not familiar with Pick Your Own (PYO), it's exactly how it sounds - you pick your fruits, get them weighed and pay for what you bought - simple.
Over Farm is not only a member of the Big G but also won the Best Farm Shop award from Cotswold Life in June 2010. These awards are the localities real food Oscars so look out for the Cotswold Life sign. Other winners in 2010 include eateries like Cotswold 88 Hotel in Painswick - good food served in a modernised hotel whilst retaining individual character, in the Queen of the Cotswold villages.
Check out some of the Cotswold beers, lagers and fruit juices - perfect to pick up from our shops and markets if you are staying in self catering or considering a picnic in the area. Served chilled juices from Days Cottage and Hayles are amongst the finest but you can take your pick from hundreds. The Cotswolds has a tradition of orchards maintained by Charles Martell and the Gloucestershire Orchard society that nurtures such great talent and produce awesome drinks. With beers from Cotswold Brewery Company, Wickwar, Freeminer, Uley and Stroud Brewery we have truly embraced the micro brewery world with award winning skills.
As for the produce, things to look out for in season at the moment include loads of summer fruits such as gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries. At the end of August, you may start to find some early blackberries making it into recipes. Lettuces will abound - little gems, red orach, endive, cos and webb are English favourites. Peas and broad beans reach their true peak in July with courgettes, runner beans, French beans, sugar snaps and marrows entering the August market place.
Rainbow chard and baby spinach is everywhere - so much so they are great alternatives for a homemade pesto instead of basil. Fresh herbs are everywhere in the summer with favourites such as lovage, borage and wild tree spinach often being found in the culinary kitchens of the area. For me one of the best products for the summer are globe artichokes. It's a sexy food to eat as it is perfect steamed and then drizzled with melted butter, a twist of pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. As you break off the tender leaves it is inevitable that the butter drips down your chin and through your fingers as you indulge in this exotic ingredient. It's decadent and naughty without doubt.
If it is picnics you are after check out some picnic tips here. Products to gather for a picnic not only include the drinks listed above but also bread from Hobbs House in Nailsworth, chutneys from Kitchen Garden Foods, cheeses from Woefuldane Organic farm shop in Minchinhampton and perhaps lots of wonderful extras from the likes of Cotswold Farm Shop, Daylesford Organics or Chedworth Farm Shop.
Summer for me is also about the afternoon tea in the garden and The Cotswolds can do this well. I have a couple of favourites but many of the Cotswolds Finest Hotels offer an afternoon tea - the Manor Hotel and Bibury Court are two of my most loved in perfect garden settings. Endless choices of teas, homemade cakes and scones and views and landscapes that are breathtaking.
Enjoy the summer and the richness that the Cotswolds has to offer. Virtually every town or village celebrates our food culture now from the village shows and fetes to delis, markets and corner shops. This is one of the best food regions of Britain.
www.thecotswoldchef.com
Find Rob's recipe for Bread and Butter Pudding here
Tip: to find out what is in season and when, visit the Eat Seasonably website.
Follow Rob on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thecotswoldchef
