Page 35 - LOTN Autumn Issue 54 2023

FAITH AND CULTURE

Geographically speaking, the Diocese of Aberdeen is one of the largest in Europe and encompasses a wide range of cooking
styles, traditions and recipes. In this new series Margaret Bradley, with the help of parishioners from around the Diocese, explores
some of the unique dishes to be found in our part of the world. From the Parish of St Columba in Banchory, Aberdeenshire,
Shirley Armstrong shares with us two of her special Christmas recipes: festive Brussels sprout soup with brandy and her mother’s
recipe for Christmas meat loaf, which she serves with the turkey on Christmas Day, and again cold on Boxing Day with beetroot
and chips. Delicious!

hirley is an enthusiastic vegetable gardener and at St Columba’s Church. Produce from the allotments isn’t
has been a member of the Woodend Allotment allowed to be sold but they can be donated for charitable
SAssociation in Banchory since 2011. The Allotments purposes.
were opened in 2007, extended in 2011 and now This keen gardener likes to grow unusual varieties of
have 120 fully subscribed allotments including three vegetables including onions, carrots, leeks, Brussel sprouts,
community allotments set aside for the disabled. Shirley broad beans, runner beans, French beans, peas, purple
has two allotments, with their associated greenhouses, sprouting broccoli, courgettes, cabbage, cauliflower and
cold frames and fruit cages. She grows red currants, black kale as well as five different varieties of potatoes! The potato
currants, gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries and, varieties include: Charlotte, Cara, Pink Fir Apple, Kestrel and
she says, over the last 12 years they have “produced an Aran Victory. After lifting, the potatoes are dried off, stored
awful lot of fresh fruit and vegetables not only for her first in a hessian sack, then put into a potato bag and stored
own family but also for her friends, neighbours and the in a frost free shed or garage for use until spring.
church”. This Christmas, all the potatoes for the Seniors Christmas
Shirley makes jams and pickles, such as pickled Lunch at St Columba’s Church will come from Shirley’s
cauliflower and piccalilli and lots of different vegetable allotment. For the roast potatoes she will use Cara potatoes,
soups such as Brussels sprout soup and minestrone soup. a beautiful flowery dry potato. The festive Brussels sprout
A lot of the produce is used at the church to raise funds soup with brandy will be served as a first course at the
for charities such as "Mary’s Meals" (An organisation which lunch. The soup will be made on the morning of the lunch
serves nutritious school meals to children living in some of and the sprouts for the soup she says, “will be picked from
the world's poorest countries). She also provides most of the allotment that morning so they will be as fresh as you
the vegetables and fruit for the parish lunches and parties can get”.

Festive Brussels Sprout Soup with Brandy
300g cooked Brussel sprouts
A little cooking oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
650ml vegetable stock
single cream
100g grated cheddar cheese
Brandy to sauté the sprouts
Grated nutmeg
Roughly chop half the cooked sprouts. Cut the rest into halves
or quarters - keep some of these for decoration when serving.

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