Food and Drink at Old Course Hotel

Hi everyone! Ross here. It’s great getting a chance to speak to you all. Simon has handed over the blog reins to me so that I can tell you all about our foraging trip last week.

Hogweed

One of our suppliers, Fresh Direct, invited a team of us from the Road Hole Restaurant to join them for a foraging class. We drove to Callander where we met Andy and Dick from Fresh Direct and a group of chefs from restaurants around Scotland.  Together, we headed out along a quiet country road.

One of the first plants we found was hogweed, it grows in big clumps of large leaves and would easily be mistaken for a weed. However the stem is edible and very tasty. It is important that you cut the stem before it matures as it quickly becomes bitter. Martyn had never tried cooking previously with hogweed so he brought some back to the kitchen to try. Similar to asparagus, hogweed tastes great  blanched with a little butter and seasoning: ideal for a fish dish. I have added a video on YouTube of Dick finding and picking hogweed.

As we walked further along the road there seemed to be edible plants everywhere we looked! We came across wild strawberries, though a little too small to eat; wild garlic, which I’ve used many times in the Road Hole Kitchen; and wild peas, they don’t look like peas but the small leaves and purple flower have such a distinctively fresh pea flavour. I collected a small bundle of the wild peas to add as a garnish to my pea panna cotta. I loved the fresh citrus flavour of wood sorrel which will taste fantastic in a fresh summer salad.

Wild Peas

Walking on a little further we found a patch of pignuts, surprisingly, a common sight on a country road. Andy showed us how to dig up a pignut. We had to be careful as the roots travel underground and break easily making them a little tricky to find and dig up successfully. If you are lucky enough to find a pignut intact then you can scrape off the outer layer to uncover a white nut with an almost chestnut flavour. I plan to use the pignuts in a dish with foie gras. Although pignuts are prolific in some areas I wouldn’t advise collecting the nuts in large quantities as the process can be quite disruptive to the land. If you do think you would like to give it a go yourself I have posted a video of Dick identifying and digging out a pignut.

Clockwise from left- Wood Sorrel, Broom, cleaned small Pignut and large Pignut

I would like to thank Fresh Direct for a great day of foraging. It was really inspiring to see all the fantastic ingredients growing on a country lane. Our morning foraging gave me so many ideas for new dishes, and I can’t wait to introduce them to you.  If you would like any more information on any of the produce or serving suggestions please do get in touch.

Take care

Ross

Welcome back to the blog…

So much has happened since we last spoke! I am very proud of Ross Marshall, our Head Chef at the Road Hole Restaurant who was this month awarded Young Chef of the Year at the Scotland Food & Drink Awards; it was very well deserved!

 At the same award ceremony we also picked up the Success Through Working Partnerships award for our series of Supplier’s Lunches. We’re really pleased that the lunches have been received so well, it’s such a fantastic opportunity for our local suppliers and food journalists to get together and enjoy some great local produce and foodie chat. At out last lunch Iain Campbell from George Campbell and Sons gave a fantastic talk on the lobsters they deliver to the Hotel. I have always enjoyed cooking (and eating) lobsters so it was great to hear about the local lobsters we serve right before we enjoyed a delicious lobster soufflé prepared by Ross and his team from the Road Hole Restaurant. In fact, Ross even managed a gluten free version during his week on the Gluten Free Challenge for one of our wheat free diners – she was very appreciative as this is a difficult one to do gluten free but if you’d like the recipe I think we’ve got it cracked now!

As a chef there is nothing more inspiring than seeing the fresh lobsters arrive, ready to be prepared for service that afternoon. When they arrive in the kitchen the lobster are still alive with a dark blue hard shell it is not until they are cooked that they turn to a more recognisable red colour. The lobster must be alive for as long as possible before cooking as they begin to deteriorate as soon as they have been killed. The most humane way to kill a lobster is by slicing the head right between the eyes. For optimum freshness the lobster must then be placed into a pot of boiling water or onto the grill within seconds.

The lobsters that we serve are caught locally around the St Andrew bay area. The fishermen use a pot otherwise know as a creel, traditionally the pots were made from wood and rope however today people tend to use a more durable plastic and wire mesh pots. In my experience Scottish lobster are the best in the world but you can get lobster from several other countries such as north east America or Canada and Norway but none match the flavour of the Scottish lobster. In St Andrews we are very lucky to have such a great selection of shellfish on our doorstep.

Here at Sands Grill we serve lobster as part of our popular seafood platter or as a classic lobster thermidor. I like to keep it simple; lobster is delicious grilled with a little herb butter and a fresh side salad. Learning to prepare a lobster is really valuable skill, and it is something that I hope that our young chefs will take with them throughout their careers.

I always love to hear your tips and recipe suggestions so please do leave a comment or if you’d like any further information on preparing or cooking lobster please do let me know.

 Take care and speak soon.

 Simon

Hi folks and welcome back!

The strawberry season is now upon us, we were excited to welcome in the first batch of Scottish berries last week. Our Strawberries come from Allanhill Farm just on the outskirts of St Andrews; you really can’t get much more local than that! Allanhill Farm is a small, family run business established in 1952; the family grows over 45 hectares of strawberries every year from May until mid October.

We use two varieties of strawberry; Elsanta and Sonata both are popular varieties in Scotland due to their natural resilience to frost. Elsanta has a lovely strong strawberry aroma with a firmer skin, perfect to eating fresh; while Sonata has a beautiful conical shape with a delicious sweet and juicy taste. This month Ross Marshall, Head Chef in the Road Hole Restaurant has added a delicious new desert to the menu, perfect for showcasing Scottish Strawberries; Strawberry Parfait with Meringue Crisps, Champagne Foam and Basil Sorbet. Absolutely divine! The basil sorbet may seem like an unusual choice but the strong herb flavours really compliment the strawberries.

 An easy dish packed full of delicious flavours that you may like to try at home is to serve fresh Scottish strawberries with black pepper, balsamic glaze and clotted cream. If you do have a go at making your own strawberry dish, or even if you have any other strawberry suggestions I would love to hear from you.

Until next time, take care

Simon

Hi everyone, we’re back for our final Gluten Free Challenge update.  The team finished the challenge on Sunday evening and after speaking to the guys it sounds as though they treated themselves to pizza, beer and their regular bread yesterday. I think we are all in agreement that the challenge proved to be a tough week, personally I would be happy to carry on leaving out certain items such as bread; I have really enjoyed a much healthier and lighter diet.

We all learned the lesson that finding something to eat from the menu in our favourite restaurant has proved to be difficult, as a team the Gluten Free Challenge has inspired us to try new dishes and it certainly will be something that we will consider when planning our new menus.

I do hope you have enjoyed reading our diary updates; I have really appreciated all your comments and messages of support.  I’ll be back tomorrow with my regular blog updates, I have a (seasonal) fruity story to tell! In the mean time, I’ll hand you over to team.

Ross-

By Sunday my overall diet had really improved, when I would usually snack on sandwiches or biscuits I found myself reaching for the fruit. It really was a challenge but it was absolutely worth it! I had a chance to see how difficult life can be living with a Gluten Free diet; it really made me think about future menus in the Road Hole Restaurant.  We’ve experimented with some different recipes through out the week so I certainly have lots of ideas for Gluten Free alternatives.

Graham-

Towards the end of the week I started to feel as though I had much more energy, I really did miss my morning pastries though. Despite the benefits I don’t think I could have carried on with this diet, the challenge was really difficult and I had really looked forward to having my normal foods. On a positive note, the challenge has inspired me to keep experimenting with new recipes for gluten free cakes and deserts.

Sean-

As a chef I finish work late most nights, when I get home from work I usually have a snack of toast or pizza before bed. One thing I did noticed last week was that cutting out the pizza and bread before bed made me feel much less bloated and helped me to fall asleep much more quickly.  Ross and I live together so we really helped each other stick to the plan through out the whole week. On Friday we made a delicious Gluten Free macaroni with blue cheese and walnuts. After our photo shoot last week, we received a Gluten Free Alternative Chart from CoeliacUK that was really helpful.  Overall I have to say it was a tough week and I do have to admit I had been tempted to stray but we stuck together as a team and I resisted, I’m really glad I took on the Gluten Free Challenge.

Paddy-

 The challenge certainly was difficult and I have to say I am glad it’s over! Yesterday, our first day free from the challenge, I had pizza for lunch.  I found the internet to be a really good source of information through out the challenge, the CoeliacUK website had a good list of alternative food items but it was also really interesting reading blogs and smaller sites.

Martin-

As promised I have been working on a gluten free pizza base, thanks for the suggestion of scone style pizza base; even though the Gluten Free Challenge is over I am still going to keep trying. My girlfriend and I made strawberry cupcakes, they were actually really tasty! As many of the product ranges don’t meet up to our expectations the best alternative is to give it a go yourself; I can see that as a chef I have had the advantage of being able to source ingredients and cook alternative dishes.

First of all I would like to say thank you for the fantastic comments and words of support on both the blog and twitter. I am so proud of our team; today the boys had a photo shoot at Kellie Castle with CoeliacUK, I’ve attached a picture of Sean showing off his CoeliacUK sticker.  One chef from the Sands Grill team , Graham, took an interest in the in the Gluten Free Challenge and decided to join us on day two, really pleased you’ve joined us kid!

I am actually really enjoying this week, I have definitely noticed a difference on my physical health I certainly hadn’t expected to feel the effects so quickly. Since we last spoke on Tuesday I have noticed that I have much more energy and feel less bloated; and I’m eating a lot more seafood dishes which I love. Enough from me, I’ll let the boys give you an update on the last two days.

Ross-

The week has gone well so far however I am missing my usual treats such as biscuits and a beer after work. I have found a range of Gluten Free products but they have a different taste and texture to what I am used to so I find that they don’t satisfy me. I have enlisted the help of our pastry chef to come up with some new products, we have been experimenting with different ingredients to enhance the flavour and texture of the gluten free cakes. It has actually been a fun process I really enjoy the challenge of trying new ingredients and measurements.

Yesterday I made a batch of carbonara with Gluten Free pasta for all the boys on the challenge. Some of my friends have taken an interests but I don’t think they are brave enough to actually commit to a gluten free diet.

Sean-

I have found snacking difficult, I would usually grab some pasta or a sandwich but this is no longer an option. I have managed to mix up my meals trying different dishes, I can see that it would be easy to get stuck in a rut eating GF toast for breakfast, a baked potato for lunch and gluten free pasta for dinner every single day. I have realised that I have really taken the flavours and textures of food for granted, the gluten free products are just not the same.

I stopped into Greggs on my break yesterday to ask them about their gluten free range, the did have a selection of products however I was a little disappointed by the lack of choice as Greggs are a large bakers in the UK I would have expected them to offer a wider selection to choose from.

Paddy-

I have tried to make different dishes at home however I am finding it difficult to source good alternative ingredients. I have really had to rely on the supermarket staff for information, most can point me in the right direction to the Gluten Free aisle however they cannot provide any further information.  The staff at my local farm shop were able to give me all the information I needed on their home made chutney and sauces even some were not gluten free the staff were, at least, able to warn me.

Martin-

I went into Subway to ask about Gluten Free products, unfortunately the manager was not in the shop at the time and no one else was able to provide any information. I can only assume that they do not stock any gluten free breads, this was very disappointing.

Sean and I are attempting to make our own pizza bases, we have made two attempts so far but they are still not living up to our expectations. There is a lot of information out there that does suggest alternative ingredients but I still don’t feel entirely happy with them; for example we have tried different flour alternatives for our pizza base but they have never quite given the right consistency or texture. Simon told us about La Favourita pizzas in Edinburgh, I wonder if they deliver to St Andrews?

Graham-

When I realised that my colleagues in the Road Hole Restaurant were taking on the Gluten Free Challenge I thought, I’ll give it a go…why not?! So far I think it is going well, I have been really careful to check everything I eat. I do miss the morning roll I pick up every day on my way to work; my usual bakery does not stock gluten free products.  I do appreciate that smaller bakeries will struggle to find the time and resources to experiment with a new gluten free product range. My visits to the supermarket now take much longer than they used to, I have found myself checking everything that goes into my trolley. My local supermarket does have a designated aisle for gluten free items and they are clearly marked however some of the smaller brands and ingredients are a little more difficult to read. I have had to stop buying food from our local foreign supermarket as I just cannot read the ingredient list, I imagine that it must be really difficult when you are away on holiday.

Hi folks, taking part in the Gluten Free Challenge really got me thinking about all the difficulties people with coeliac disease face. To show my support I have put together my top ten tips for sticking to a gluten free diet.

1. Honeybuns!  Made on the Honeybuns farm in Dorset these gorgeous cakes are a lifesaver; the gluten free delights are served in our divine gluten free afternoon teas.
2. Our team of chefs currently taking part in the Gluten Free Challenge certainly miss their pizza, we’ve found that La Favorita in Edinburgh serve wonderful fresh gluten free pasta and stone baked pizzas.
3. As an alternative to adding Xantham Gum to your baking why not experiment with your recipes, add juicy fruits such as strawberries and nectarines; they’ll help keep the mixture moist as well as adding delicious flavours.
4. Coeliac UK have a great online directory of around 9000 gluten free products, you can sign up for the directory at http://www.coeliac.org.uk/
5. Look out for local Coeliac community groups, it’s a great way to meet up with people to share problems, recipes and tips. You can find your local group on the Coeliac UK website
6. Don’t be afraid to ask! If you’re unsure about any of the dishes on a menu then you must not be afraid to ask your waiter. Here at the Road Hole Restaurant our waiters and chefs will always be on hand to answer any of your questions.
7. To combat cross contamination avoid cooking with wooden utensils and if possible purchase a second toaster to cater for gluten free members of the family.  
8. Invest in a bread maker, making your own bread from scratch is not only a fun new challenge but it also allows you the confidence to eat your food knowing exactly what is in it.
9. Visit your local farm shops and farmers markets, many stock naturally gluten free products such as rye breads and quinoa. Here at the Hotel we have a great farm shop right on our doorstep at Balgove Larder 
10.  To help your child stick to a gluten free diet turn symbol spotting on food products into a fun detective game, why not give them a magnifying glass on your next trip to the supermarket?! A fun game will help educate your child to spot gluten free products and hopefully draw their attention to the things they can and cannot eat.

  To support Coeliac UK Awareness week myself and my team of chefs from the Road Hole Restaurant have taken on the Gluten Free Challenge. Our team inlcuding Head Chef Ross Marshall, Sean McGinlay, Martin Po and Paddy Boyd have promised to live on a strict gluten free diet from Monday until Sunday this week recording our experiences in a diary. 

 I do think this week will be a difficult one; I tend to eat a lot of carbohydrates and unfortunately many of them are now off limits, as a result I find myself looking towards protein rich meals. I can see that if I was to remove gluten from my diet permanently I would need to plan my meals carefully to ensure that I had a balanced diet.

 Last night I made a delicious butternut squash and goats cheese salad for dinner, I think that as a chef I am much more aware of the different ingredients available. I can imagine that many people will have difficulty finding the time and resources to make varied meals. That’s exactly why I was so keen to get involved with this challenge; events such as Coeliac UK Awareness Week and the Gluten Free Challenge are a great way of raising awareness. Even in day two of the challenge my team have already noticed the lack of product options available to them, if they do not like the taste of one bread or biscuit brand there are very little alternatives. I do hope that Coeliac UK Awareness Week highlights the great resources are currently available to them such as the fantastic 9000 strong product database on Coeliac.org.uk.

 Ross- Bread is the one thing I will definitely miss; I am already finding it difficult to source a gluten free loaf that I like the taste of. So far the challenge has been a lot more difficult than I had thought it would be. As the Head Chef at the Road Hole Restaurant I like to taste everything before I serve it, whilst I have to rely on my Sous Chef for tasting some dishes – we’re lucky in that we use fresh, seasonal, local produce here so many of the dishes are naturally wheat and/or gluten free.

I had a day off work yesterday so I made myself a chicken curry being careful to check that all the spices I added were gluten free. Tonight as both Sean and I will be working we plan to try our new packet of gluten free pasta with a cherry tomato and basil sauce.

Sean- I like to cook for my girlfriend and myself however as I had not yet bought any gluten free pasta I had to serve the regular pasta dish to my girlfriend and make myself a tuna salad. Our local supermarket has a really good selection of gluten free products so I plan to make a visit this afternoon on my break to pick up some more gluten free bread, pasta and biscuits. Hopefully once I have more gluten free products I will be able to make meals that my girlfriend and I can enjoy together, I really don’t want to cook two different meals for dinner every night but I’m sure I’ll get into the swing of it!

 Martin- I haven’t had too many problems so far finding gluten free food but I’m sure that it will get harder as the week goes on. I have already bought some products; yesterday I had gluten free cheese toastie for lunch and today I made a gluten free pasta dish. I was surprised to find that I actually liked the pasta! The one thing that I know I will miss is pizza; I’m going to have to look for a gluten free pizza base recipe, I’ll let you know how that turns out.

Patrick- Taking part in this challenge has made me realise just how much I like to snack, as a chef it can be difficult finding time for a full meal so I tend to eat smaller and quicker meals. My usual quick fix would be a sandwich, as I don’t yet have any gluten free bread I have had to swap this for dishes such as a green salad or a fruit salad. I wasn’t able to eat the food that my family had for dinner last night so I made myself sausage and mash, I was really surprised at how many sausage products were not suitable to eat. I can tell that this task is going to be a little more difficult than I had originally anticipated.

The Gluten Free Challenge Team- from left to right: Martin, Ross, Paddy & Sean

Hello and welcome back to the Old Course Hotel Food & Wine blog.

We’re now into the second week of the British asparagus season which in fact is a very short season lasting only six weeks.  Traditionally the season starts on the 1^st of May however this year it started a little early as the fantastic weather we have had throughout April has meant that the season started in the middle of April – so right now really is the very best time for some delicious asparagus recipes

In the UK we grow asparagus a little slower so that the spears have more time to develop a stronger flavour and texture. The famous Scottish weather means that we tend to wait a little longer than the rest of the country for the asparagus to develop; we expect the deliveries to arrive this week.  As you know, I am very keen to work with local producers and suppliers and asparagus is the perfect example of why it is always best to buy vegetables from a local farmer.

When an asparagus spear is cut the natural sugars start to convert into starch so the longer the asparagus takes to reach your plate the more time the starch has to build up diminishing the quality of the produce. You can spot a Scottish asparagus spear by the lighter colour and fuller flavour, this is simply down to the distance it travels. I would really recommend that you pick up your asparagus from your local Farmers’ Market.  There are fantastic markets in Edinburgh, Fife and across the country – try Fife Farmers Market this Saturday in Cupar (www.fifefarmersmarket.co.uk) or Edinburgh Farmers Market every Saturday at Castle Terrace (www.edinburghfarmersmarket.co.uk) – or better still why not try growing your own!  (http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingasparagus1.shtml)

Asparagus works really well with lemon or garlic, and is perfect for salads or seafood dishes. Why not try a green salad with fresh herbs and wild garlic, or even a stir fry with soy sauce! If you have any tips or recipe suggestions for asparagus then please do share them with me and your fellow blog readers.

Speak soon.

Simon

Fresh Scottish Asparagus

Edinburgh Farmers Market

  Hi everyone, welcome to the Food & Wine blog. I am Simon Whitley Director of Food & Beverage at the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa; this blog is a great opportunity for me to talk to you about my passion…food!  I will be writing about some of my favourite recipes, dishes from our restaurants at the Hotel as well as food trends and advice.

I had the huge honour of being invited back to the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club to help prepare for the Champion’s Cocktail Party, I was out there last year and all I can say is that I must have done something right!  The menu is based on past champion’s dinners so it’s a great mix of dishes from Mike Weir’s favorite Lobster in Puff Pastry with Saffron and Vanilla Aioli to Tiger Wood’s Steak and Chicken Fajitas. The week was absolutely amazing.  From the nail-biting play to playing a part in the team who prepare and present the champions cocktail party dinner – this was another unforgettable trip and a great opportunity to meet up with and cook for the guests we often have the pleasure of hosting here in St Andrews. 

Meanwhile back in Scotland we are beginning to see the first signs of summer, this is a really exciting time of year for us Chefs as some of the tastiest fruit, veg and herbs begin to appear. I believe really strongly in provenance and I am a big supporter of the VisitScotland campaign Eat in Season so keep watching for strong focus on local and seasonal produce and great seasonal recipes for you to try at home. 

To kick off I have chosen one of my favorite herbs out right now, wild garlic. I think what I really like about the herb is that as its name suggests…it’s wild.  This year the nettles and wild garlic are a little late but we have now been able to start using them in our dishes here at the Road Hole Restaurant. Our chefs head out to woodland area on The Duke’s golf course to collect the garlic and nettles, then they bring them back to the kitchen where we prepare them for service. I really recommend you go out and have a look in the woodland area around your own homes, see if you can find some wild garlic and nettles; there’s so much you can do with them.  I’ve added some pictures so you know what you’re looking for, make sure you give them a good wash and they will be fine. Wild Garlic is great in a risotto or soup while the nettles can be added to a pesto. Ross Marshall, Head Chef at the Road Hole Restaurant will be using these fantastic ingredients in some of the cooking demonstrations on our YouTube page so keep an eye out for that!