Bowhouse on Balcaskie Estate in the East Neuk of Fife is a hub of excellent food and drink producers, including gardeners, brewers, butchers, millers, bakers and fermenters. One weekend a month the resident businesses are joined by a wealth of artisanal producers from across Scotland for a bustling weekend market. With live music, street food, children’s activities and a bar, it’s a brilliant way to shop and a great day out.
This October the theme is Orchards to celebrate the harvest and the bounty of autumn. Bowhouse resident businesses have been telling us what they’re looking forward to in the new season and sharing ideas for what to buy and cook. Euan Simpson, manager of Butchery at Bowhouse, says: “As the autumn chill comes in, our thoughts turn towards slower cooked, warming, and comforting dishes. One of our favourite meats we get from Balcaskie Estate is mutton. It’s very underrated and packed with flavour due to the age of the sheep, and its higher fat content contributes to the meat’s richness.
“Some autumnal cuts from mutton include the leg and shoulder, which are best used for a roast or when slow cooked – perfect after a long day to come home to.” Andrew Whitley, co-founder and honorary chairman of Scotland The Bread, based at Bowhouse, is celebrating the year’s wheat harvest. “Harvest home! The ancient cry of the reapers and carters used to bring reassurance that there would be bread on the table for everyone in the neighbourhood,” says Whitley,
"Few Fifers are aware most of the wheat that adorns their lovely landscape like a golden fleece is destined for the distillery. But not in St Monans. Here, the Scotland The Bread millers depend entirely on each year’s crop of ‘landrace’ wheat from Balcaskie Farm, where each ton of slowly-milled wholemeal flour could make 2,000 large loaves.”
Freshly milled organic flour can be bought at the markets or online, or you can try it in a loaf at Baern cafe. Tom Booth, co-founder of East Neuk Market Garden, says: “At this time of year, leafy greens like kale, chard and spinach really come into their own as well as cauliflowers and cabbages. Squash and pumpkins start to be cut and cured ready for use throughout the winter.
“For those who believe bitter is better, the first radicchio heads are ready at the end of September, with an enormous variety of shapes and colours filling our salads right through to late winter. Chillies and peppers have their last chance to ripen, whilst autumn is also a great time for different Asian greens like pak choi, komatsuna and salad mustards, and we’ll also be lifting daikon and watermelon radishes in October alongside our maincrop carrots.”
For ideas on how to use this wealth of fresh produce, Hazel Powell co-owner at Baern, the onsite cafe at Bowhouse, has some inspiring ideas. Pop in for lunch and you may see autumnal produce in a new way. She says: “Autumn arrives overnight in the East Neuk, suddenly summer with its tomatoes and long evenings gives way to squashes, radicchio, cosy jumpers and golden fields.
“East Neuk Market Garden grows lots of fun varieties of squash to play with, long curls of tromboncino, dense sweet uchiki kuri, fun to look at and to eat.
“One of our favourite evening dishes last autumn was a perfect wedge of roast uchiki kuri squash, spelt and smoked Cullisse rapeseed oil skirlie with pickled cherries. We don’t like to waste anything, so we use the trims of the squash to make a purée that goes into a dense almond cake, then from the seeds we make a sweet glaze to dip our pastry knots in. The market garden grows an incredible variety of radicchio in the Autumn. We love to eat Castelfranco raw with a little pickle juice dressing, we char and braise treviso and tardivo and serve with nice fatty sausages we make in collaboration with Butchery at Bowhouse.
“We also love the Jerusalem artichokes that come along a little later. We roast them and use the sweet nutty insides in savoury Danishes, then dry the skins to make a sugar to roll doughnuts in. They’re so good, filled with a pine needle custard.”
Bowhouse, St Monans, Fife,
October 12 & 13, bowhousefife.com
Butchery at Bowhouse butcherybowhouse.com
Baern instagram.com/baern_cafe/
East Neuk Market Garden eastneukmarketgarden.com
Scotland the Bread scotlandthebread.org
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(Image: Ailsa Sheldon)
Four more farmers’ markets for delicious autumnal produce
Perth Farmers’ Market
Celebrating 25 years this year, Perth Farmers’ Market provides local farmers, growers and producers with a friendly environment to sell some of the best local produce in Scotland. Vendors include Cairn O’Mohr fruit wines, Charlotte Flower chocolates, Woodmill Game and Wild Hearth bakery.
First Saturday of the month, South Inch Car Park, Perth.
perthfarmersmarket.co.uk
Kelso Farmers’ Market
This popular market has won awards for environmental sustainability and for protecting native breeds. Producers include Burnside Farm Foods, Peelham Farm and Hardiesmill Grass-Fed Beef and you’ll also find local fish, vegetables, jams and sweet treats, all from independent businesses from the surrounding area. Profits are reinvested in the community and local charities.
Fourth Saturday of the month, The Square, Kelso
facebook.com/KelsoFarmersMarket
Edinburgh Farmers’ Market
Since 2000, Saturday in Edinburgh has been market day. With more than 50 stalls, producers are vetted for the traceability and quality of their produce. Fill your basket with free range meat and charcuterie; Scottish game including venison, partridge, pheasant and woodcock; organic dairy products; fish and shellfish, baked goods, beers and spirits.
Castle Terrace, every Saturday
edinburghfarmersmarket.co.uk
Autumn Market at Wildwoodz, Inverness
This autumn celebration in the woods offers something a wee bit different. With arts, crafts, food and drink and street food vendors, this promises to be an enjoyable day out. Produce for sale will include honey, preserves, hot sauces, coffee, patisserie, craft beers and locally made cider.
October 18-20
exclusivelyhighlands.co.uk/events/october-at-wildwoodz/
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