Friday May 23, 2008
For the next week I will be eating only Scottish food to support our home-grown food industry and to help raise awareness of the wonderful, fresh seasonal produce that Scotland has to offer. Today I started off my week of 'eating Scottish' with a bowl of porridge - a good hearty start to a busy day ahead!
One of a number of engagements today was my meeting with NFUS Banffshire branch at the Forbes Arms Hotel in Rothiemay, known for sourcing local produce. This was where I formally kicked off my Eating Scottish Week. A great tasty meal with roast pork and beef, local veg and mashed potato was enjoyed by all followed by cranachan to finish a great Scottish lunch. Over our working lunch Ban 
ffshire farmers told me about their hopes for the future and their concerns about rising fuel and fertiliser costs and still too low prices they get for their produce. I'm keen to improve relations across the industry's supply chain within our National Food Policy to help amongst others our primary producers who tend to get squeezed.
Next stop is my constituency office in Elgin where I took delivery of a fresh vegetable box from local suppliers, EarthShare, for our meals in the coming days.
This was a seasonal delight of organic home-grown produce - filled to brim with pak choi, spring cabbage, carrots, lettuce, radishes and rhubarb. Finishing work for the day, I head home for my first Scottish meal of the week - grilled salmon.
Saturday May 24, 2008
Started the day with Hamlyn's Porridge Oats milled at Boyndie near Banff.
Called into MacLean's Bakery in Forres to collect a Scottish birthday cake made with Scottish flour, eggs from Keith and butter from the borders. They kindly offered to bake the cake to mark my Eat Scottish Week. It was huge, with a Saltire flag! I am giving it to a local care home in Elgin where the residents can share the experience.
Then it was on to Findhorn with my family because my four year old son loves the sea and it will be the first visit by my four week old son to one of our spectacular local beaches. We went for an early lunch to the Bakehouse in the village that specialises in locally grown organic food. I found the full Scottish breakfast too tempting and enjoyed black pudding, venison sausages and haggis all supplied to the cafe by local 
butcher McBeth's.
My birthday dinner included a Speyside fillet steak from Murdoch's Butchers in Forres and Scottish roast tatties basted with goose fat from a company in Lanarkshire. I polished it off with a strawberry crumble made by Rowan Glen. And I washed it down with a dram - from Speyside of course - as the MSP for Moray it couldn't be anything else!
So far, I have been aiming for my five portions of fruit and veg each day but need to buy some more seasonal fruit. Although I do have some local rhubarb for this weekend.
I usually try and buy Scottish whenever I can but never before have I studied food labels in such detail. So far, I have visited one major supermarket where I could only find tatties from Israel and other parts of the UK. Only Scottish baking potatoes could be found on the shelves. I also noticed that pre-packed salmon fillets were labelled as being produced in 'Scotland/Norway'. Surely, it is one or the other.
Sunday May 25, 2008
Boiled eggs and Highland rye bread for breakfast. For dinner tonight, I am having roast pork, veg and tatties. I am also looking forward to homemade rhubarb tart. I'll be making that myself which will be a first! Balancing my constituency and Ministerial duties has not left a lot of time lately for home-cooking so it's great to have the bank holiday weekend to have a stab at it.
Over the weekend, to satisfy my sweet tooth, I have been dipping into a box of delicious Scottish tablet made by the Isle of Skye Fudge Company. During the day, rough oatcakes and Scottish cheddar provided a tasty snack.
Monday May 26, 2008
Porridge again for breakfast - I used to have the occasional plate but from now on will be eating a lot more of this hearty and wholesome breakfast - it's a great way to start the day. More Highland rye bread with a lashing of Rowan Glen butter followed.
"I usually try and buy Scottish whenever I can but never before have I studied food labels in such detail." Richard Lochhead
Lunch was quick but I managed some beef sausages that I had bought a few days ago and didn't want to go to waste. It is amazing how much food society wastes these days.
Today's treat was pancakes from a local bakers smothered with some Baxters' Scottish rhubarb and ginger jam. Given the company is based in Fochabers, it reminds me of the huge economic role food and drink plays in Moray the area I represent in Parliament.
Haddock supplied by Buckie-based Mark's fish van that calls round local communities is for dinner. I will have the opportunity to use up more locally grown vegetables and more of the tatties supplied from Perthshire. For dessert, it will be fresh Scottish strawberries and Mackie's ice cream.
I head for Glasgow first thing in the morning for the first of a series of Ministerial duties this week then it's off to Edinburgh for Cabinet in the afternoon. I'll have the opportunity to let my colleagues know how I am getting on with my week.
In many ways the past few days have been a steep learning curve on the availability and seasonality of Scottish vegetables and fruit. Overall, I am impressed by the range of good Scottish produce that is available. When I dig down into the ingredients, I find I have to make compromises but I can see that it would be possible for even more products manufactured in Scotland to contain more local ingredients.
Tuesday May 27, 2008
Following porridge with fresh strawberries for breakfast, I head down to Glasgow for my first Ministerial engagement of the week. The visit to Glasgow City Council focused on waste rather than food. However cutting down on food waste and buying more seasonal unpackaged food can help to reduce the environmental impact of our food. I 
enjoyed a piece of Scottish shortbread with my coffee.
Following this I go shopping at Grassroots Organics for an interview with the Five Thirty Show. Presenter Stephen Jardine, who has pledged to eat Scottish from Burns Night to St Andrews Day, and I share stories on our experiences so far. He tells me that he is glad there is more fruit and vegetable coming into season and the importance of eating in season. We enjoy a delicious lunch of Scottish club sandwich with locally produced bread, Scottish cheese and tomatoes.
That evening following Cabinet I go straight to a live interview with More 4 news. The idea of Eating Scottish has stirred interest down south, where the producer of the show is undergoing her own Eat British week and we discuss how my week of eating Scottish produce is faring. Finally I head home to enjoy my Scottish quiche, mushrooms and local organic salad purchased earlier today. Pudding is a small tub of ice cream from Cream of Galloway, based in Gatehouse of Fleet, and in the wings is some Mull of Kintyre cheese and Nairn's oatcakes should I need a snack later.
Wednesday May 28, 2008
Starting the day with my now usual bowl of porridge for breakfast, I head to Parliament for a hectic day of Ministerial appointments. Following a morning of meetings and a Committee appearance, I take a break to visit St Andrew's House canteen to sample the 'Eat Scottish' week being run by Sodexho, on behalf of the Scottish Government.
All the main meals on offer in their canteens this week will be made with fresh Scottish ingredients, in support of my 'Eating Scottish' week. I sample a seared Orkney salmon steak - delicious! I speak to the Sodexho contracts manager about this commendable initiative. He tells me that they do seek to "stock Scottish wherever possible" and have "increased their amount of Scottish produce over the past twelve months". Procurement of fresh, seasonal food through our schools, prisons, hospitals and public canteens can be a key way of supporting Scottish food. This is something I am keen to see much more of in future.
Following a busy afternoon's business, I eat out in Edinburgh with colleagues where I decide to go for a rack of lamb with all the trimmings.
Thursday May 29, 2008
My final day of Eating Scottish during another busy day at Parliament. I lead a debate on the Common Agricultural Policy (ICP) Health Check where I raise the importance of supporting our primary food producers. Then after First Minister's Questions I grab a quick bite of Scottish chicken and potatoes on a brief pause for lunch.
Following another afternoon of meetings, it is fitting that I end my week of Eating Scottish at the Catering in Scotland Excellence awards in Glasgow, as a guest of the Federation of Chefs Scotland. This highly prestigious event in the catering calendar recognises the best of Scottish catering - the responsibility for turning our fine produce into meals to be proud of rests with the catering sector from the chefs to the hotel owners and service staff represented at the dinner.
For dinner I enjoy a starter of baked trout fillet with Uig smoked salmon followed by guinea fowl with Stornoway black pudding and Highland mushrooms. This gourmet treat is much more extravagant than some of the dishes I have tried this week but this just goes to show the wide range of Scottish produce available.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my week of Eating Scottish, will continue to eat Scottish wherever possible, and would recommend it to others to try.