How strange this thread came to my notice today I had been watching "Holiday of a lifetime" a BBC programme where folk get a chance to relive a holiday from their youth. Today Len Goodman was taking Anita Manning (First Scottish female auctioneer) back to Rothsay on the island of Bute a place any Glaswegian of a certain age would have gone for their holiday.

The programme started me thinking and googling places on the island that I remembered from my own childhood visits. So what you may ask does this have to do with winter warmer recipes? Well we used to walk out from Rothsay to Ascog Bay through the woods the smell of Ransoms was all around now I don't know if the word is used elswhere but the pungent aroma of the wild garlic always ignited my mums memories of childhood oatmeal soup.

The actual ingredients depended on how much money was in the household and in the garden and surrounding area.


Poor mans oatmeal soup

Oatmeal
Stock(usually vegetable) or water or milk
Ransoms
Salt and pepper


When finances allowed, which was not that often

The hen would be boiled with some onion carrot a bayleaf and some herbs.

When ready the hen would be removed to be served with boiled potatoes and skirlie (a sort of stuffing made with oatmeal onions and suet well seasoned)

If they had it some fresh carrots and some leak would be added to the stock with the small scavagings from the hen a handful or two of rolled oats and some milk or if she had done some work for the local farmer perhaps a little cream.

Nowadays I would add some sweetcorn