One of the things I love about buying food gifts for Christmas gifts, is the ease with which I can match certain gifts to particular people. Chocolate lovers, wine lovers, sweet lovers, and in the case of this ‘local Christmas shopping post’, Chilli lovers.

The Chilli gifts I will be giving this year will come from Galloway Chillies,  a great wee  independent company based in Newton Stewart in South West Scotland.  Owner, Sheena Horner, started the company in December 2012 and since then has gone on to develop eight varieties of chilli jam, with one variety, ‘Chilli Lemon Citrus‘ being awarded a gold star by the Guild of Fine Food at this years Great Taste Awards.

The festive favourite in the range has been the Chocolate Chilli Mincemeat,  a subtle mix of chocolate and fiery chilli giving a really warmth to the mincemeat. There’s also a nice Winter warmer in the range, Chilli Burns, described as a hot toddy in a jar.

Other flavours include, Sheena’s Chilli Original, Chilli Lime and Ginger, & Chilli orange and Citrus. With each variety available in a different range of heat, mild, hot and extra hot, it makes the jams a very versatile gift for chilli lovers.

There’s also an excellent range of ready made festive gift baskets and packs available and these also include chilli chocolate and beautiful slate platters. Or why not fill a hamper or gift box with  selection of jams and other food items, or a single jar will make an excellent stocking filler. 

Using only British chillies in the various jams, Sheena tries where possible to include some of the forty varieties she grows herself. Her aim in the next few years is to be using her own chillies for all her products.

In the run up to Christmas, Galloway Chillies will be attending the following farmers markets and festivals, where the full range of products will be on sale.  On line ordering and a full list of stockists can be found at www.gallowaychillies.co.uk

7th December – St George’s Church Christmas market, Dumfries

7th December – DrumlanriggChristmas Fair

7th December – Kirroughtree Visitor Centre

8th December – House for anArt Lover, Glasgow

8th December – Creetown Christmas Craft and Produce Market

8th December – Kirroughtree Visitor Centre

14th December – Monreith Christmas Fair

14th December – Partick Farmers Market, Mansfield Park, Glasgow

14th December – Sulwath brewery

22nd December – Dumfries Farmers Market

23rd December Partick Farmers Market, Mansfield Park, Glasgow.

The most commonly asked question of the moment must be ‘have you started your Christmas shopping yet’. This year, I’m making gift baskets with a selection of hand picked items from some of the local food producers in my area. It’s a great way to support local business and avoids the over priced and over wrapped gifts available in the supermarkets and department stores.

There’s such a great selection of products available from small local producers and these can usually be found at Farmers markets and independent shops, with many also available on line from the producers websites.

In  the first of a short series of posts, I’ll be writing about some of my favourite local producers and the quality products that will make great Christmas gifts.

Jams, preserves and chutneys make great gifts at any time of the year but are also ideal to give at Christmas. Perthshire based producer ‘Perthshire Preserves’ is well known at Scottish farmers markets and is one of my favourites. From their base in Callander, Iain McKenzie and Kate Thornhill  a make wide range of products that are ideal to give as Christmas presents. Well recognised for their excellent quality, this year the Hot Banana Chutney was awarded one star at the Guild of Fine Foods ‘ Great Taste Awards’ and the Seedless Blackcurrant conserve won a gold medal at ‘The Jampionships’.

Handmade, and using only the finest ingredients, the impressive range includes preserves, jellies, marmalades and chutneys. Iain and Kate also make a range of  flavoured gins and vodkas that are sold regularly at some of the farmers markets they attend.

Many of the products are seasonal and with Christmas fast approaching there are a few delicious festive flavours in the range. The Christmas  Marmalade with the added flavour of cranberry and the lightly spiced Christmas Chutney, flavoured with cloves, cinnamon and a touch of rum, make an ideal pairing as a gift, or as part of a larger gift box or basket. Also in the festive range, there’s a Cranberry and Orange relish, a trio just perfect for serving with festive food.

For the spice  lover there is Curried Tomato and Chilli Chutney and a fantastic award winning, Hot Banana chutney. Add to a gift box or basket with the Chilli oil, and again, another ideal gift. This spicy pair of chutneys are two of my favourites and  I always serve them as an accompaniment with our Saturday night curry.

There’s a varied selection jams, preserves and conserves to choose from including, Strawberry and Pink Champagne Conserve, Raspberry liqueur Conserve, Plum and Lemon Conserve and Strawberry Conserve with Black Pepper.

The selection of marmalades  includes, Three Fruit Marmalade, Pink Grapefruit and Ginger, and for the whisky lover, Deanston Whisky Marmalade.

Although the products can be bought individually, there is also the option to have a bespoke hamper, gift box or bag, filled with your own choice of  products.

The full range of products and list of stockists is available from www.perthshirepreserves.co.uk.

As an alternative, orders can be emailed in advance  to www.info@perthshirepreserves.co.uk and collected from the following farmers markets

Friday 6th December – Falkirk

Saturday 14th December – Crieff

Sunday 15th December -Stockbridge

Saturday 21st December – Perth

Sunday  22nd December – Clarkston

Sunday 22nd December – Stockbridge

It was all in the name of  science, possibly medical science and some might have even said for medicinal purposes.

‘Savouring Sensory Science’ was one of the many events taking place at this year’s Dundee Science Festival.  Organised by Ewan Henderson, founder of ‘Scotch Broth Events’, it explored the science of taste though an innovative way of pairing whisky with food.

The fascinating multi sensory journey promised ‘ marrying malts and molecules‘ and ‘drams with dramatic pairings’.

The event and the food pairings brought together a number of good quality Scottish and local food producers to be matched with whiskys from  local distillers. ‘Glencadam‘ from Angus Dundee Distillers, and ‘Cutty Sark’ from nearby Perth.

The food  included ingredients from Mackays, the Dundee based marmalade producer, Arbroath Smokies from Iain R Spinks , local herb specialists ‘Scotherbs‘ and Perthshire based rapeseed oil producer, ‘Summer Harvest Oils’. There was fresh produce from nearby Frasers fruit and vegetables  and from further afield, Arran Cheese and smoked mussels from Kintyre Smokehouse

Drinks were poured and the experimental journey began with the first port of call to an old sea fairing friend, ‘Cutty Sark’. The ‘Spirit of Adventure’ meeting Dundee, ‘City of Discovery’ in a ‘Dundee Maltijo’ cocktail, served with a degree of sophistication in a Mackays  marmalade jar.

A rich and exotic start, the cocktail was a mix of  Cutty Sark ‘Storm’, Mackays marmalade, ginger and hints of vanilla from a dried vanilla husk. The husk perhaps a reminder of  distant sea travels.

The ‘Dundee Maltijo’ was paired with an elegant Arbroath Smokie mousse cone, finished with an unusual topping of popping candy. The Smokie flavoured mousse, matched perfectly with the sweetness and rich flavour of the cocktail,  Cutty Sark ‘Storm’, adding great depth of delicious flavour.  On the palate, ‘Storm’ promised, sweet, ripe stone fruit, peaches and cream – layers of complexity and attractive velvet texture.  As a novice whisky drinker and completely new to pairing food with whisky, it was a perfect start to the event, and very different to any previous experiences of wine and food pairings.

Ewan spoke at length about the science of taste and invited the audience to test their taste buds using  a ‘super taster’ test strip to determine whether or not they fell into the ‘super taster’ category.

Being a super taster relates to the quantity of of taste buds on the tongue and has been correlated with the intensity at which individuals taste most things.  For the super taster, salt will be saltier, sweet is sweeter and like wise with bitter, much more intense.

A second small experiment with a jelly bean,  helped the audience to understand why 70% of taste is through our nose. It felt quite strange, pinching your nose and sucking a jelly bean, but it proved the point.

There was an interesting discussion around some of the myths surrounding whisky, and of course we were quickly debunking some of those, particularly, ‘It’s not as complex as wine’ and ‘It is not food friendly’.

Before moving on to taste the selection of malts, Ewan talked about the effect of wood on the flavour of the whisky, describing the different finishes and the perfect parings with certain foods.

This was the point where I  began to understand and appreciate the different finishes and the marrying of food with whisky.  For those who wanted to alter the tasting experience, there was the option to add cold green tea or water to the whisky. A strange combination possibly, but did you know, that adding green tea to whisky is the favourite way to drink scotch in china. Showing the spirit of a true Scot, I opted to drink mine neat.

First pairing was a 10 year old Glencadam malt, accompanied by a ‘Smoking Jacket‘, a smoked mussel tapenade crostini. This was a real winner on flavour and despite being a novice, I enjoyed trying different ways to experience  the changes in flavour. A mouthful of whisky and the smokiness of the  tapenade together, yes I could see and taste how they were a good match. Drinking the whisky alone and then having a mouthful of the tapenade, well that gave a different taste and a much nicer flavour.

I was learning quickly.

The next pairing, was  ‘Sugar and Spice’, ‘ Irn Bru’ pulled pork with an ‘Irn Bru’ syrup on toasted soda bread,  and  a 12 year old Glencadam Portwood finish. This whisky is described a ‘the rather refined malt with a beautiful round, true flavour’.  On the nose it has an elegant balance and port sweetness’.  Not a description I would apply to the other national drink. Again, the whisky was nice when drank separately from the food. Tasting the ‘Irn Bru’ pulled pork without the whisky, I felt it was rather too sweet.

However, eating and drinking both together completely changed the flavour of the pork and I could see how this dram and it’s dramatic pairing complemented each other perfectly.

The Glencadam 15 year old malt was next. On the palate it promised ‘juicy cut grass freshness with a mouthwatering malty signature. Restrained sweetness caressed by soft oak’.

It was accompanied by a delicious warm  ‘Alba Aranci’ ball. Haggis with coconut, rice, cheese and nutmeg. If there was a marriage made in heaven at the event, then this was it for me. The whisky was very different and much lighter than any I had previously tasted and  combined with the sweet and savoury flavour of the food, it really was sensational.

The final whisky was a Glencadam Olrosso finish, described as ‘The rather enriched malt, with a beautifully sophisticated, rich flavour’.  On the palate it promised ‘Floral and spicy with a sophisticated mix of vanilla and sherry sweetness’. This was paired with ‘Panache Ganache’, a dark chocolate and blue cheese ganache tart, topped with rosewater caviar.  For me this was quite a strong flavoured whisky, but it was matched perfectly with an equally strong food.  It married well with the bitterness of the chocolate ganache and the two together produced a delightful mellow flavour.

Flavour Tripping

The final part of the event was described as ‘Flavour Tripping’. It sounded strange and to be honest  to start with it did seem a bit strange. Reminding myself, I was on a scientific journey, I happily popped the fruit tablet to take my palate, as Ewan described, on a journey to somewhere it’s never been before.

Once the tablet had dissolved, it was on to the final taster plate, which unlike the nights previous food offerings, looked a little unappetising.

Lemon, lime,grapefruit, salt and vinegar crisps, Guinness and gooseberry wine. Not really an appealing plateful, but it was offering a taste journey like no other. Ewan went on to explain how experiments like this have influences in the food industry. What happened next was quite remarkable.

Biting into the lemon was a pleasant and sweet experience. No bitterness, no screwed up faces, just not what I expected. It was the same result with the lime and the grapefruit. Working my way through the plate, delivered similar results, the salt and vinegar crisps had no vinegar taste, just a nice mellow flavour. The gooseberry wine bordered on being a dessert wine and surprisingly the Guinness had completely lost it’s depth of flavour. What should have been sour, was tasting sweet. This was the effect of the ‘Miracle Fruit’ tablet. Sweetness without the added sugar. It’s easy to see where this will fit with the food industry, constantly under fire for the levels of sugar in food.

The event also included a ‘hi tec’ element, using the new ‘Showmappr’  app, an exciting way to share connections at shows and events. A mystery malt was poured and the audience were invited to scan the qr codes on display to record their choice.

Food and drink brings people together. It’s a way of sharing and being sociable. ‘Savouring Sensory Science’ did all of those.  Tastes in food were discussed, favourite drinks were chatted about and we ended where we started. One for the road and a night cap of another ‘Dundee Maltijo’ cocktail. Cheers, from a night of spirit and adventure.

Further Information 

Find out more.

The science of taste and food and drink events –  www.scotchbrothevents  Follow on   Twitter@aNipandTuckin  & FacebookScotch Broth Events

 www.dundeesciencefestival.org   Follow on Twitter @DundeeSciFest & on Facebook Dundee Science Festival

www.cutty-sark.com  Follow on Twitter @cuttysarkblend

www.glencadamwhisky.com   Follow on Twitter @GlencadamWhisky & Facebook Glencadam Single Malt  Whisky

Ask most people about charcuterie and the long established old favourites are usually mentioned. Parma ham, Serrano, salami, chorizo and bresaola. Traditionally these products were made with pork and produced in countries like Italy, Spain or Germany, a way of preserving meat and ensuring a longer shelf life.

Scotland, however has it’s own brand of charcuterie made from sustainably sourced wild venison and over the past few years, charcuterie products made by Great Glen Game have become a favourite with food lovers and chefs throughout the country.

Established in 2003 and based  at the Great Glen in the Scottish highlands, owners Jan Jacob and Anja Baak set about producing quality venison charcuterie products. Using  only Scottish wild venison, sourced from estates and small landowners in their local area,  the company now boasts  a number of award winning products in it’s range.

2013 has been a particularly successful year for the company with their Green Pepper Venison Salami, firstly gaining 3 stars at the Great Taste Awards, followed by greater recognition when it went on to be judged  ‘Charcuterie product of the Year’ at the annual Great Taste Golden Fork Dinner.  

 Great Taste Awards are just that, all about the taste of the products and  the green pepper salami is a well deserved winner of the award. The Judges commented,” Very appetising aroma and a fine, soft moist texture. The balance of pepper is just right. It is powerful but not over-powering” 

The Great Glen Game charcuterie range includes, chorizo and chilli chorizo, pepperoni, salami and bresaola.  Sold throughout the UK in stores including Fortum and Masons,and  Wholefoods, the charcuterie is recognised as a brand  that wins on taste and quality. 

The salami and the bresaola are ideal on a sharing platter  and with many chefs supporting British and local produce, it can be found on the menu in restaurants throughout the country.

Venison charcuterie, with it’s wonderful gamey flavour is very lean, and ticks the boxes for being low in calories and cholesterol. I  regularly include it when  making venison casseroles, and the chorizo makes a delicious addition to pasta dishes. The flavour also work well with scallops and prawns and is ideal in paella or risottos.

The pepperoni and salami are favourites of mine for adding to homemade pizza and will also make impressive canapés, where normally Parma ham and other charcuterie is recommended.

Look around any supermarket these days  and the freezer and chilled sections are now laden are with christmas canapés and party food. Whilst much of it will be seen as convenient at such a busy time of year, it can be over packaged and overpriced. Whilst there’s no denying the  convenience factor, last year I decided against buying any of these foods, opting instead to use a range of venison charcuterie  to make simple canapes.  

Along with some other ingredients, I made some very quick canapes and starters when needed and to be honest  they were tastier  and more interesting than some of mass produced party foods available.

Many people admit that their food shopping habits change in the run up to Christmas and end up spending unnecessary amounts of money on the so called party foods.  I will put my hand up and say that in the past, yes, I have been a guilty participant. My excuse was that some  unexpected  visitors would turn up.  Being a preserved meat, the charcuterie has a long use by date, which makes it ideal at the festive season and means it’s less likely to end up being wasted.

Some of my canapés included, 

Oatcakes or blinis spread with Dunlop Dairy cream cheese with black pepper and oatmeal, topped with a slice of salami or bresaola. Garnish with fresh herbs such as flat leaf parsley and maybe a small piece of gherkin.

Crostini spread with either a cream cheese or a mild Galloway Chilli Jam and topped with finely chopped venison chorizo and fresh herbs.

A bite sized piece of Barwheys  Dairy cheddar wrapped with rocket, green pepper salami and secured with a cocktail stick.

Chorizo in red wine. Cut the chorizo into 1/2 in thick chunks.  Finely chop a shallot and sauté for about 1 min. Add the chorizo, cook for 1 minute, add 100 ml wine and cook for about 5 mins. This can be made earlier and then served warm, sprinkled with freshly chopped coriander or flat leaf parsley.

These are all very simple but flavoursome canapés. Adapt to suit your own taste and experiment with ingredients such as different herbs, cheeses, baby plum tomatoes, olives, and flavoured mayonnaise.

If food is on your Christmas gift list, Great Glen Game charcuterie will be a real quality ingredient to include in a gift basket or hamper. Mixed with ingredients such as chutneys, flavoured oils, crackers and wine, it will make a fantastic gift.

For information and a full list of Stockists see www.greatglengame.co.uk     E:info@greatglengame.co.uk   Twitter @greatglengame 

Facebook greatglengame

Photography.

 Thanks to Paul Johnson at www.coppermango.com   Twitter @coppermango  for permission to use the main photograph in the collage of starters.

Also thanks to Anja and Jan Jacob at Great Glen Game for wonderful products to review and for use of some of their photographs.