A lightbulb moment on the Highland food journey...
Posted by Catriona Ross - 14:01 on 19 September 2010
AFTER several weeks' chewing it over, I’m now filling in our Highland Food Challenge record for September.
We eat a fair amount of local food anyway, but making notes has really focused my mind on how much still comes from afar - and the vast quantities of energy it must take to transport it.
Porridge for breakfast - well and good - although the packet doesn’t specify where the oats (Highland Wholefoods’ Organic) come from it’s an improvement on Weetabix, and I’m much more in the mood for it now the weather’s getting colder.
It was when I reached for a banana to slice on top, whilst sleepily watching apples fall soggily from the tree onto the lawn, it dawned on me that I’d blown it. A quick check online... oh dear, 5229 miles and counting... while a fresh apple from five yards away would have done the job fine. A slurp of coffee - jings, another 5,000 odd miles - woke me up to the fact I wasn’t really doing that well after all.
Friday night, and haddock from Lachie’s fish van with salad and home made chips from Garguston tatties was delicious, washed down with a welcome bottle of white brought home by a jubilant husband celebrating the start of his holidays. Pop, glug, wait a minute though, how far away is Chile, what 7,281 miles?!? A taste for Torrontes and Malbec acquired during travels in South America doesn’t mean that we now have to carrying on drinking wine carted half way across the world. In fact, in terms of carbon footprint it might just make more sense to save those miles to transport ourselves to another wine producing area and discover its delights in situ one of these fine days...
Grow North on Saturday was just the tonic needed to get over these setbacks. What a great way to spend a rainy Saturday morning; talking about - and sampling - food! Grow North coordinator Sheila Wickens is a font of knowledge on harvesting and storing produce. Her passion is infectious and the proof proved to be well and truly in the eating. There were unanimous murmurs of approval as we sampled delicious fruit leathers, dried tomatoes and best of all, Sheila's original Chinese Style Plum Dipping Sauce. Check it out and cast your vote!
Following on from the previous evening’s dismay, when discussion turned to wine making a lightbulb pinged on. My only experience of bevvy production was a spot of student dabbling in homebrew; however my Dad used to be a keen winemaker and I have fond memories of bubbling demijohns, and one unfortunate explosion in the airing cupboard. Listening to Sheila’s advice and accounts of winemaking adventures caught all of our imaginations; there was definitely an appetite for a workshop devoted entirely to wine making. Watch this space...
The afternoon session with Daniel Ross from Poyntzfield Herb Nursery was packed with great tips on sorting out the garden and planning next year’s crops. Click here for all the notes from the day.
The cycle home from Loch na Mhoid was paved with intentions to sort out my strawberries, make green tomato chutney, gather plums and make dipping sauce and get some apples dried. Its not all quite worked out as planned as it’s still pouring with rain, my stashed jars appear to have been put in the recycling (and their lids chucked out) and we’re off on our hols tomorrow.
Still, at least I now know what I want for Christmas - a copy of CJJ Berry’s legendary manual First Steps in Winemaking.
And with any luck the demijohns might still be lurking in my folks’ loft...
As for making your own wine - go for it but you'd better get graspes growing in a polytunnel in the not too distant future. Or will it be 'any old fruit' wine? Cairn o'Mhor seem to be able to make wine out of most things!