Foodie Parcels in the Post - October 2014

Thursday 30 October 2014
The end of October already?! Time for my monthly roundup of the foodie goodies that have dropped through my letterbox this month. If you're a brand who'd like to send me a foodie parcel in the post please do get in touch claire@foodiequine.co.uk



Very impressed with the newly launched selection of naturally gluten free gourmet flours and grains from Doves Farm. They come in handy tubes with the contents ranging in size from 110g to 150g depending on the product. The clever idea behind this being that you don't have to buy a huge pack of a slightly obscure ingredient. It can't just be me who buys something for one recipe which then languishes at the back of a cupboard until it's thrown out a year (or more!) later. 
Each pack has a recipe on the back which has been developed by Clare Marriage, founder of Doves Farm, in her own kitchen. We tried out the Maize Flour Chocolate Crackle Cookies. They were really tasty and my kids loved them as did a Coeliac colleague of Foodie Loon. I did have to add more flour and almonds to get the mixture to a rolling consistency and I also chilled it in the fridge. To flatten I used a fork which worked well. Looking forward to giving some of the other recipes a try.

I've been working with the folks down on Bannisters' Farm to develop some #TermTimeTeatime recipes using their range of frozen baked potatoes, check them out here - Littl’uns Fajitas, Cheesy Beany Potato Hedgehogs and Tuna Niçoise Tatties. The latest addition to their range are Mini Bites. We tried the Cheese & Onion and the Cheese & Jalapeño but there's also a Cheese & Smoked Bacon which sounds even more up my street.
They take 20 minutes to cook from frozen and we had them alongside some homemade Green Tomato Soup. These would be a perfect standby to keep in the freezer particularly over the up coming festive period. Also fab as part of a snacky tea or for munchies whilst watching TV. 

There's a bit of a BBQ and Smoking revolution happening in Aberdeen at the moment. The latest addition to the burgeoning scene is a range of sauces from Angus & Oink. Three were delivered for me to try from the full range of six. We had the Pitboss BBQ on stir-fried beef served on a wrap with refried beans, green tomato salsa, soured cream and cheese. Really tasty. 
However I think I am way too much of a woose for the Phat Taco and Rampant Angus as they are seriously spicy. I passed them on to a friend who is a big chilli fan. She gave the ketchup the thumbs up but even for her the Phat Taco was burning hot. Definately to be used with caution.

Someone in the household was very excited when a bright pink parcel arrived containing Bubblegum flavour Angel Delight, she even tried to convince me she should have it for breakfast. I'm not really an Angel Delight fan, although I'm sure I consumed my fair share as a child, however the three other members of the household are. Foodie Loon has a particular penchant for Butterscotch. When I posted on Twitter and Facebook there was an outpouring of nostalgia. Some had no idea that it was still available and there was a lot of love for Butterscotch. Apparently a concoction of Banana and Butterscotch is well worth a try. Alas the bubblegum flavour wasn't the one to convert me but it went down well with the kids who can't wait to try it as a milkshake.
This post is an entry for Britmums #AngelDelightMoments Linky Challenge

Surely no one has missed that fact that I've got a new kitchen? And I've got Jam Jar lights! The folk at Sliver Mushroom spotted them and sent me a matching Kilner Dispenser to review. Doesn't it look amazing in situ? Alas I've not had a chance to try it out with anything bar soft drinks but it will have pride of place when filled with something stronger at my kitchen warming party. I asked for suggestions on Facebook for what I should fill it with and the resounding answer was Gin. I guess my paunchent for Mothers Ruin is weel kent. 
Unfortunately it's not suitable for hot drinks which is a wee bit disappointing as it rules out Mulled Wine. It would however be the perfect Pimm's receptacle come summer time. My only other wee gripe is that you have to unclip the lid when its in use. However I can forgive that wee quirk as it looks so fab. There's a huge range of gorgeous Kilner products on the Silver Mushroom site. My jam jar wish list is getting longer!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Two new preserves have been launched by MacKays for the festive season. Christmas Marmalade with Cranberries and Christmas Preserve with Mulled Wine. As I was dishing up my tale of two toasts for breakfast, girl came along for a sniff and declared that they both smelled of gingerbread. Job done! They do indeed both have a fantasticly spicy festive aroma about them and are jam packed full of fruit. I reckon they would make a great seasonal gift and will also be perfect to use in Christmas baking. I've already got a few ideas up my sleeve of ways in which I can use them.

The timing couldn't have been better for the delivery of the Good Grips 2 piece Fruit Scoop Set. I excitably posted on Facebook saying that I couldn't wait to try them to scoop out a pumpkin only to be told that they looked like nothing more than coloured plastic spoons. I'm happy to report that they were much more and were great for scooping out both hard and soft fruits. The good grips handle makes them comfortable to use even when excerting pressure and the edges are sharp enough to cut. They made swift work of both kiwi and avocado. Really impressed with these. 

I've previously blogged all about the innovative Coast and Glen Fish Box scheme and was delighted to be sent a further box brimming with shellfish. The Lobster was landed in Cromarty by Willie, Langoustines caught by Murdo at Kyle of Lochalsh and Oysters from the Isle of Bute. Can't get better provenance than that! Foodie boy was charged with cooking dinner and created a fantastic meal of Grilled Oysters with smoked paprika, garlic, lemon and Parmesan butter followed by Spaghetti Nero with Langoustines and Lobster.

Disclosure : Thanks to Doves FarmBannisters' FarmAngus & OinkAngel DelightSilver MushroomMacKays JamOXO UK  and Coast & Glen for providing the above products. I was not obliged to review positively in return. All views expressed are my own. 
If you're a brand who'd like to have your product featured here, please do get in touch claire@foodiequine.co.uk 


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Pumpkins & Halloween Food - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration

Sunday 26 October 2014
Halloween is a complete godsend when it comes to getting crafty with food and drinks. There is just so much to play with. Admittedly I'm a bit nostalgic for the Scottish Halloween of my youth with guising, neeps and well rehearsed turns. Not sure that trick or treat, pumpkins and a knock knock joke quite cuts it. However pumpkins are definitely easier to carve than neeps and their burning flesh smells much better so its not all bad.
Ghostly Potatoes - Pumpkins & Halloween Food - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration

I was asked to come up with some ideas for the Quality Meat Scotland Good Family Food Facebook Page to put a meaty twist on proceedings. First up Ghostly Potatoes!

Top a ghoulish Scotch Beef Stew with spooky mash for Halloween. Mash your potatoes with plenty of butter and milk so they are nice and creamy. Pipe the Ghosts on top of your stew - or mince - and pop in peas for eyes. Boo! 

Pumpkins & Halloween Food - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration

Drunken Pumpkin - Pumpkins & Halloween Food - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration

Pumpkins & Halloween Food - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration

Pumpkins & Halloween Food - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration
Foodie loon is the pumpkin carver in this house and has come up with increasingly more impressive offerings over the last couple of years. Not sure what he has planned this year. All will be revealed later on in the week. I suspect there's a wee bit of rivalry between the Dads in the village as to which house has the best carved pumpkin. 
Halloween Green Zombie Drink - Halloween - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration
If you fancy something spooky to drink at Halloween how about a Green Zombie? This one was a Juice Master Turbo (pineapple, celery, cucumber, spinach, lime, apple and avocado). An Asda Creepy Glass Clinger was used to decorate the glass. I reckon this would be fab with something a bit stronger added. Green Gin Zombie anyone?
Pepper Meatloaf Pumpkins - Halloween - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration
The second Good Family Food Facebook Page meaty feast for Halloween is Meatloaf Pepper Pumpkins.
Orange peppers are much easier to carve than Pumpkins! Choose ones with a flat base or trim so they sit straight. Slice off a lid and scoop out the seeds and core. Use a sharp knife to cut out spooky faces, fill with your favourite meatloaf recipe and bake until the peppers are tender and the stuffing is cooked through. 
Gingerdead Men - Halloween - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration
Halloween Cookies - Halloween - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration
There's a fantastic choice of spooky cookie cutters available. Last year I made GingerDEAD men and I've got a new set of Skeleton Cookie Cutters to try out this year. Both of these will be getting used this week at my kids after school class at Inchgarth Community Centre.
Bonfire Night Food - Sausages - Bonfire Bangers - Fireworks
Skipping forward a week I've been getting ahead of the game with a tasty treat for Guy Fawkes Night.
Remember Remember the 5th of November with these tasty Bonfire Bangers. Sausages on skewers topped off with colourful triangles of pepper combine to make edible fireworks.
Pumpkins - Halloween - Recipes, Ideas and Inspiration
Back to the pumpkins. Do you think we have enough? The big boys from the supermarket will be carved whilst the medium ones from the gardens at National Trust for Scotland's Leith Hall and the smallest ones from Lidl (who have a FAB selection) will be eaten. I'm also slightly tempted to set Foodie Loon the challenge of carving a Neep...


Disclosure - QMS commissioned me and compensated me for my time in creating halloween and bonfire night ideas for their Facebook page. All views expressed are my own.




Lots more Fun Food Halloween ideas can be found on the Fun Food Friday Linky and the Halloween Spooktacular Linky Party

Eats Amazing Fun Food Friday
Made in a Day


This post is an entry for the Cakeyboi and Kleeneze blogger Halloween competition
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Aberdeen Fungi Forage with Galloway Wild Foods

Wednesday 22 October 2014
Another amazing weekend of Foraging and Wild Food in Aberdeenshire with the wonderfully knowledgeable and inspirational Mark Williams of Galloway Wild Foods. This is the third event that we've teamed up for and they just keep getting better and better. We had 40 folk joining us over the weekend, some of whom had been on our previous Dunnottar Woods or Spring Coastal Forage and others completely new. Some had been dragged along reluctantly by partners, others were chefs, foodies and outdoor enthusiasts. Lots of combined knowledge to be shared. 
The location for our foray was Tollohill Woods overlooking Aberdeen. Despite being very close to my home I was completely unaware of its existence. The views it provides over the city are amazing. It's clearly very popular with dog walkers and families out for a weekend stroll. Hopefully we didn't upset too many folk by filling up the small car park with foragers. 
Every walk requires some tasty treats along the way. Mark provided his famous Hogweed Seed Parkin and Hedgerow Fruit Leathers whilst I brought along Bramble and Apple Flapjacks and Crab Apple and Rowan Jelly Thumbprint Cookies. Recipes for both to follow at the end of this post.
Mark was as always slightly nervous about what we would - or wouldn't find - on our walk. It’s been an oddly dry autumn (though getting wetter by the moment!) so there was no guarantee what fungi we would find. Thankfully there was plenty of interest to discover although nothing in any huge quantity. Any gaps in between the mushrooms were filled in with edible and useful autumn plants.
We also indulged in some botanic booze along the way, some of which had been created in advance by Mark and myself and our own special 'Tollohill Tot' cocktail, the drink of our walk. Into the Cauldron (nitrous oxide infuser) went edible plants and berries such as brambles, dandelion, sweet cecily and sorrel. 
Our halfway stopping point at the Tollohill Monument (In remembrance of the visit of H.R.H. Albert Prince Consort to this spot 1859) provided further spectacular views over the city. Time to snack on thumbnail cookies, hedgerow fruit leather, sloe gin and mushroom booze infused with chagga, chanterelle, cep and truffle. 
We even dug up truffles on our foray. But before anyone gets too excited they were inedible deer truffles growing beneath the wonderfully named Snaketongue Truffleclub. We found the real deal in terms of Chanterelle along with is false counterpart. Contrary to popular belief the false chanterelle isn't poisonous but its taste will leave you sorely disappointed.
All too soon we were back at base camp in time for hot drinks, flapjacks and a browse through Mark's collection of fungi foraging books. Gas stove fired up he then cooked up a creamy Fungi Fricassee enjoyed on top of sourdough loaf. Porcini, Hedgehogs and Chanterelle were the stars of the show.
I bet Tom Cruise can't shake up a cocktail in the woods. With the Cauldron full of botanticals from our walk it was time for some magic and shaking. Not sure if our walk was all that tasty but with some clever additions from his bag of tricks Mark made it very tasty indeed.
The pink "Tollohill Tot" certainly looked more appetising than my somewhat specimen like Whin Gin. We'll definitely be teaming up next year for a Botanical Booze Forage. Fear not there will be no need to argue over who is the designated driver as we'll make sure its on a bus route.
Thanks to all who joined us over the weekend and a big thanks to the weather which was exceptionally kind. There are definitely more foraging events in Aberdeen/shire being planned for next year with Mark and myself. Spring Coastal, Botanical Booze and Autumn Fungi are the three most likely. Drop me an email if you want to go on the mailing list and be informed when places go on sale claire@foodiequine.co.uk or if you have any suggestions for locations or content we'd love to hear from you. Meanwhile enjoy identifying the reproductive organs of an invisible network.


Bramble and Apple Flapjacks
350g Butter
175g Demerara Sugar
500g Porridge Oats
pinch salt
Tbsp Cinnamon
Jar of Bramble & Apple Jam (or any jam/jelly of your choice)

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Melt butter in a large pan. Remove from heat and add the sugar, oats, salt and cinnamon and mix well.
Place half the mixture into a greased on lined tray bake tin. Spread the jam over the base.
Carefully spread the remaining half of the oat mixture on top.
Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
Slice, Cool and Serve.

Crab Apple and Rowan Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
225g Butter (softened)
150g Caster Sugar
1 Tsp Almond Extract
250g Plain Flour
Jar of Crab Apple and Rowan Jelly (Or any jelly/jam of your choice)

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees.
In a food processor (or large bowl) cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the almond extract and flour and combine to form a dough.
Roll the dough into 1.5" balls and place on a baking sheet. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the middle of each ball.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and use a teaspoon to indent the thumb imprint before filling the hole with jelly/jam.
Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes of cooking time.
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Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble

Monday 20 October 2014
I was delighted to team up again with my friend Mandy from Mud Pie Adventures for our third family food and foraging outdoor event. Following on from our Garlic Bear Hunt and Blaeberry Bash, it was time for an Autumnal Bramble Ramble. 90 adventurers joined us over two sessions in the woods at Hazlehead Park. The weather could have been kinder in the morning but all came equipped with wellies and waterproofs. Takes more than a downpour to dampen our enthusiasm but it does make everything just that little bit trickier. 
Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
We were slightly concerned as to how many berries may be left at the end of the season. I took along an emergency supply from my freezer to supplement any shortfall but there were still plenty to be found.

Brambles - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
Brambles - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
On our way to base camp we stopped off to try another tasty foraged treat. Beech nuts. They are hard work to harvest as not every case contains a nut and they are rather fiddly to open. More of a wayside snack than a bountiful wild food feast.
Beech Nuts - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
Our camp had been established surrounded by plenty of hills, dens, trees, rocks and muddy puddles to explore. We had three fires going, two in dustbin lids and one in Foodie Loon's trusty washing machine drum fire pit. 
Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
Washing Machine Drum Fire Pit - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
Dustbin Lid Fire - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
First on the menu were Apple and Bramble Parcels. Lots of fun peeling, coring and slicing on the Apple Master from Lakeland. I've had mixed results with this gadget on odd sized and misshapen apples from the garden but it worked very well on perfectly apple shaped ones. 
Apple Master - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
Apple Master - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
The chopped apple was placed in a square of strong tinfoil along with some brambles, demerara sugar, butter and cinnamon. These were formed into parcels before being tucked into the charcoal embers on one of the campfires.
Bramble & Apple Parcels - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
Bramble & Apple Parcels - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
Next up was bramble butter to spread on brioche toasted over the campfire. We shook up double cream in jam jars - a great workout for bingo wings - added brambles and honey or sugar for a bit of sweetness. After mashing it all together we had a fantastic pink butter to spread on our toast.
Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
Making Butter - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
The final menu item was bramble smoothies. The last of the berries were squished up in a ziplock bag before adding natural yogurt, honey and milk and squishing a bit more. The resulting smoothie looked and tasted great. 

Bramble Smoothie - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble

Time to rescue our bramble and apple parcels from the firepit and sit down to enjoy our foraged feast. Being outdoors certainly works up an appetite and there were clean plates and cup all round plus some leftover butter to take home and enjoy later. Thanks as always to all those who joined us - we hope you all had as much fun as we did.

Washing Machine Drum Fire Pit - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
Bramble & Apple Parcels - Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
Our next joint event will be a Shortest Day Brunch and Brinner in the woods. Keep Sunday 21st December free if you fancy joining us. 
Mudpies and Foodie Quine Autumn Bramble Ramble
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