Food related to Great Northern

Hi, our next event in the South West is a Bring and Scoff with a talk about maritime Canada, which is the breeding ground of the Great Northern Diver.  I was wondering what GN related food could be taken - what about eggs (!), fish and chocolate...!  Has anyone got any more ideas?

How about strawberries? In honour of a certain character's pyjamas?

Possibly, if you like it, roast duck rather than chicken. Duck is at it's best this time of year.

Certainly duck eggs, which would also link to Swallowdale. Beware they are very filling.

It might be worth wrapping them in heather for presentation.

Previously Owen Roberts wrote:

Possibly, if you like it, roast duck rather than chicken. Duck is at it's best this time of year.

Certainly duck eggs, which would also link to Swallowdale. Beware they are very filling.

It might be worth wrapping them in heather for presentation.

Excellent ideas, thanks all of you - keep them coming!  Great to hear from Adam in Canada too.  Interesting to learn that a loon = a GND, and is found all over Canada.   Oh yes, Geraint,  I'd  totally forgotten about Jemmerling's pink pyjamas!  

While we are on the subject of food, can any of you remember anyone ever eating bananas in the AR books?  They seem to eat a lot of apples, but I know bananas were fairly scarce in the 30s and 40s in England.   And do they eat any other fruit? 

Curried eggs and oranges to cool the tongue afterwards, Missee Lee,

I seem to recall banana's but not sure

Previously Pippa wrote:

While we are on the subject of food, can any of you remember anyone ever eating bananas in the AR books?  They seem to eat a lot of apples, but I know bananas were fairly scarce in the 30s and 40s in England.   And do they eat any other fruit? 

Previously Pippa wrote:

I think bananas appeared in SA. Wern't they tied to a tree to give a natural look?

While we are on the subject of food, can any of you remember anyone ever eating bananas in the AR books?  They seem to eat a lot of apples, but I know bananas were fairly scarce in the 30s and 40s in England.   And do they eat any other fruit? 

Previously Pippa wrote:

While we are on the subject of food, can any of you remember anyone ever eating bananas in the AR books?   

Yes, like Robin, Owen and Anonymous, I recall bananas, too: I think John offered one to Sammy the Policeman when he came to call?

Returning to Great Northern? food, how about sandwiches wrapped in noisy paper? I seem to recall Dick struggling with this whilst in his hide. Perhaps you could have a competition, with a prize for the person who can unwrap their sandwich without making a noise?

Back to Bananas, Blackberry and Banana Mash, Secret Water

Or back to Great Northern? food? Glancing at chapter 2, it looks as if Peggy and Susan agreed that "macaroni and tomato with poached eggs" was just right after bringing the Sea Bear to her anchorage in the fog. To be strictly accurate, you ought to have a duet on the accordian and penny whistle playing in the background whilst it is being prepared...

Alternately, there's always venison, but the McGinty might not approve!

I wish my knowledge of the books was as good as yours - must be time to re-read them...

Great ideas -will try blackberry and banana mash sometime, Robin.  It sounds delicious!  Fun activities suggested by Geraint too!     

I wish that I still had my wee book of Scottish cuisine to refer to.  Still, bannocks would travel easily and well; while Cock-a-leekie Soup, whilch is absolutlee scrumptious, would be difficult to transport.  Perhaps a 'google' on Scottish cookery might yield some good ideas.

David Bamford

Previously Pippa wrote:

I wish my knowledge of the books was as good as yours - must be time to re-read them...

Great ideas -will try blackberry and banana mash sometime, Robin.  It sounds delicious!  Fun activities suggested by Geraint too!     

I fear you've got me thinking again, Pippa. Towards the end of Great Northern? we're told that Roger found the McGinty and his son "hogging" on the terrace. Unfortunately, we're not told what it is they were "hogging", but we are told that the piper was entertaining them as they ate.

So perhaps you need to add a kilted piper to the penny whistler and accordian player at your GN? feast?

Previously Pippa wrote:

I wish my knowledge of the books was as good as yours - must be time to re-read them...

Great ideas -will try blackberry and banana mash sometime, Robin.  It sounds delicious!  Fun activities suggested by Geraint too!     

More and more fun - I think we may have to improvise with a CD of Scottish music playing in the background!! 

Previously Pippa wrote:

Excellent ideas, thanks all of you - keep them coming!  Great to hear from Adam in Canada too.  Interesting to learn that a loon = a GND, and is found all over Canada.   Oh yes, Geraint,  I'd  totally forgotten about Jemmerling's pink pyjamas! 

While we are on the subject of food, can any of you remember anyone ever eating bananas in the AR books?  They seem to eat a lot of apples, but I know bananas were fairly scarce in the 30s and 40s in England.   And do they eat any other fruit? 

 The children do eat bananas. Certainly in Peter Duck, and also in SA on Wild Cat.

Banana and blackberry mash in SW.

Previously Pippa wrote:

Excellent ideas, thanks all of you - keep them coming!  Great to hear from Adam in Canada too.  Interesting to learn that a loon = a GND, and is found all over Canada.   Oh yes, Geraint,  I'd  totally forgotten about Jemmerling's pink pyjamas!  

While we are on the subject of food, can any of you remember anyone ever eating bananas in the AR books?  They seem to eat a lot of apples, but I know bananas were fairly scarce in the 30s and 40s in England.   And do they eat any other fruit? 

How about red herrings as a dish?"it was hard to say who were the leaders of the red herrings.Susan and Peggy were in charge,but naturally they depended on the guides." Might be difficult to get as I don't think you can buy them in the supermarket(or anywhere else for that matter!).But how about some herrings in some sort of tomato sauce?Another idea, its not mentioned in GN but I bet they had Bunloaf, heres a recipe that I find is relatively easy and tastes great:

Pippa -

you seem to have a choice of three routes: Canadian style food, Hebridean food, or what they are likely to have eaten on the Sea Bear.

On the Sea Bear, they seem to have taken most of their food with them. When they go back in to Stornoway all they need is milk and bread.

Re Hebridean food: we've just come back from a few days on Lewis, staying in one of the low thatched cottages of the Gaels - the blackhouse village at Gearrannan. In the 1930's/40's, Lewis was mainly a crofting island, so the main foods were oats, barley and potatoes (so oatcakes would be good), sheep (lamb or even haggis), and some cows (crowdie cheese too) - there would be rabbits too and other wild game. Hens eggs or wild eggs - not Great Northern Divers'. And lots of fish, herrings, mackerel, maybe salmon and trout though rivers such as the Fhorsa that AR fished on would be in private hands.  Also shellfish. Not many vegetables, though broth with barley is common. For pudding, cranachan made with toasted oatmeal, cream and raspberries is excellent.  

One of the Stornoway classics is black, and white, puddings, especially made by MacLeod & MacLeod (started in 1931), though C. MacLeod also makes them.

The names of dishes in Scots is almost poetic: bawd bree (hare soup), cabbieclaw (cod in egg sauce), crappit heids (stuffed haddock heads), clapshot (mashed potato and turnip), cullen skink (haddock soup). 

Uig Lodge is available for rent, at £4,855 per week in summer months - sleeps 15. Gearrannan have a 16 bed cottage for £163 a night, two five bedded cottages at £86 a night, or the cottage for 2 is £63. September to May prices are c.£20 lower. There is also a Youth Hostel in one of the cottages at Gearrannan at £8 a night each!

Rob