Neep and Tatties Skink

Tatties: Potatoes
Neep: Turnip
Skink: Soup

Being none too rich and careful of their resources, Scottish cooking relies on basic ingredients cooked up to warm the innards and provide strength and energy - what we consider a good "meat and potatoes" diet. Root vegetables are the core of most meals. A very popular meal is vegetable soup, which is also called vegetable stew, since it's so thick in nature. It's very common in Scotland since the vegetables grow on the coast of Scotland, as well as being easily accessible in the grocery store.

My paternal grandfather originated from Scotland to St. John's, Canada and he taught my grandmother to make it just the way he liked it. She in turn taught it to all her daughters and daughter-in-laws. Anyways, they've all created different variations over the years, but this is the version my grandfather brought from Scotland. My mom has made a variation of this soup called Cullen Skink (has fish in it), and so offered to make Neep and Tatties Skink for me. It really taste good, but if you can't make soup all that well (like me) then I suggest asking someone who can.

Supposedly serves 10 people, but my 4 brother, my parents and myself can usually get one bowl before we have to fight for the rest.

Ingredients and Equipment:

- 5 large tatties
- 3 large carrots
- 1 large neep
- 2 large leeks
- 300g of red lentils
- 1 large pot (nice and deep, please!)
- 1 pot lid
- Grater
- 1 wooden spoon
- laddle (for serving)

Method:

1) Wash your lentils (in a culinder for instance)in cold water for 2-3 minutes to get the starch off them. Then add 1 L of water to your pan, bring to simmer and add the lentils. Cover. Leave them like this for approximately 15 minutes or until they become fluffy and soft. You made need to remove some of the 'scum' with the spoon.

2) While the lentils are cooking, peel the tatties, carrots and neeps. Cut off the green leafy part of the leeks and the rooty bottom end. Then cut it down lenghtways, split open, and wash over cold water. Proceed to chopping the leeks in rings, from one end to another. Once all your other vegetables are peeled, grate them all.

3) Once you've removed the rest of the starch (scum)from the lentils. Add the leeks and grated veggies to your pot (here some people add 2 cubes of chicken stock or veggie stock, but I find that just too salty). Mix the lot together nicely with the wooden spoon, cover and leave to cook.

4) Once the root veggies are nice and tender, or mushy depending on how you like your soup, add a bit of salt and pepper for taste (though if you added stock cubes, more salt really isn't needed)

5) Serve and enjoy.

Serving suggestions:

Homemade bread goes great with this. Just dunk and eat!

Homemade cheese can go on top, but I suggest avoiding chedder (not a good mixture!). Also remember that cheese is fatty in nature.

Health/Environment Benefits:

Lacks fats (if you avoid the cheese!)
Low in salt (if there's no stock!)
High in carbohydrates and protein
High in vitamins and nutrients
Is a great source of energy for the human body

Since Canada has roughly the same climate as Scotland, most everything can be grown in locally. This cuts down on oil cost and carbon emissions needed to transport the food here from wherever.

Availability:

Are available most anywhere in Canada. You can go to the local grocery store, your local farmer's market or you can grow it yourself. If you do buy it, please try to buy organically since this cuts down on pesticide use which has harmful effects on our bodies!