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Tim Maddams

February 21, 2009 Leave a Comment Filed Under: Uncategorized

Accompanied by a vegan friend, I turned up at the organic foods superstore ‘Wholefoods’ in Kensington for a talk on seasonal food by River Cottage chef Tim Maddams.
Tim is impressively passionate about fairtrade, organic and locally sourced food. He explained how cooking seasonally is different:

“Every chef’s early training consists of 1) plan menu 2) buy ingredients 3) serve it. At River Cottage, whatever is delivered in the morning… I cook in the evening. It forces you to be creative.”

Tim’s early training with Marco Pierre White, Alistair Little and St. John’s restaurant led to a gig cooking around Europe for 2 years, for the Formula 1 circuit.

“This left a sour taste in my mouth. Going to poor countries in an expensive catering unit and importing food” explained Tim “I wanted to connect again with local producers in Britain. It’s not just a moral choice. Seasonal and local food tastes better. Your local butcher and greengrocer can never compete with a large firm. If we don’t support local producer and shops, especially in a recession, they won’t be there in a few years time.”

As Tim talked, helpers handed around samples of cheese (Devon Bell, subtly pungent sage), charcuterie from Wales, Cocoa loco, Sussex based organic chocolate using coffee beans from Cafe Direct and Lyme Regis sourdough bread. I felt guilty, as my vegan friend would only be able to try the bread.
The tasters in the audience immediately began communicating in a chorus of “mmm’s” and “yum’s”.

“Calm down dear it’s only cheese” joked Tim.

To my surprise my vegan friend tried a piece of cheese. Emboldened by her, I attempted a tasting of the ‘lomo’ and the venison salami made by Trealy farm in Wales. I haven’t eaten meat in 30 years. The taboo thrill set us giggling, equivalent to a virgin’s visit to an Ann Summers party.
Lastly I tried the goose, cured by Tim Maddams himself. Overkill. Discreetly I spat it out. I’m afraid I will not be converted back to meat eating anytime soon.
Tim does state “Eat more veg and less meat” for the livestock industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental degradation worldwide.

Café direct, the fairtrade coffee exporters invited River Cottage chef Tim Maddams to talk about seasonal food as part of a 9 day Tastefair at Wholefoods, Kensington. Check http://www.tastefair.co.uk/ for continuing events as part of Fairtrade Fortnight 2009.

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

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msmarmitelover

Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Apple rose blossom tarts with rose jam. Rose Appl Apple rose blossom tarts with rose jam.  Rose Apple Blossom Tarts

Serves 8

Equipment: 
Microwave
Cupcake or muffin tin

I use a red-skinned apple to make these, to get a hint of blush at the edges of the ‘petals’.

Ingredients:
4 Pink Lady or Royal Gala apples, cored, cut into quarters, sliced thinly into half moons
1 lemon, squeezed
1 pack all butter readymade puff pastry 320g, on a roll, cut into 8 strips about 6 cms long
100g of melted butter
1/2 jar of rose jam
1 or 2 tbsp cinnamon or cardamom, ground 
Pinch maldon salt
2 or 3 tbsp icing sugar

Instructions

Prepare a bowl of acidulated water (cold water with lemon juice) to prevent browning.
Core the apples, and cut them in quarters. Slice thinly into half-moons (a mandolin is useful for this). 
Put them into a large bowl of cold water with the lemon.
Microwave the bowl of sliced apples for 5 minutes until soft enough to bend slightly but not cook them.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Roll out the puff pastry. Divide into 8 sections by cutting the roll into quarters then halving each quarter. You will end up with 8 approximately 6cm strips.
Brush the strip with melted butter then paint with a layer of rose jam. You can then dust with either ground cinnamon or cardamom.
Lay the apple slices along the top of the pastry strip, overlapping them. Fold up the bottom half of the pastry strip to make an pleat with the skin side of the apple half moon poking over the top.
Roll up the folded pastry strips until they look like a rose made of apple at the top
Place ‘rose’ side up, in a buttered cupcake tin
Repeat until all are done and bake for 20 -30 minutes.
Using a tea strainer or small sieve, sprinkle with icing sugar.
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