Susan Crosthwaite has been delighting her guests with amazing food (all home grown or locally sourced) for 20 years at Cosses Country House – one of those amazing gems hidden away in beautiful, unspoilt South West Scotland. Cosses Country House is a Wolsey Lodge and a 5 Gold Star Visit Scotland B&B. Susan has written her own cook book and has been a member of the Scottish Food Guide since its foundation.’

Susan is demonstrating at the Highland Show at 2pm tomorrow 23rd June 2010

She is using home grown fruit, vegetables and herbs, Ballantrae crab and Crailoch lamb, butchered by Dalduff; her local butcher for the last 20+ years.

She will be demonstrating a strawberry starter and dessert as strawberries are very much in season, and a lamb main course with home grown vegetables:

Ballantrae Crab and strawberry salad with a balsamic, horseradish and lemon dressing.

The crab meat from 6 large claws. Large strawberries Salad/rocket leaves

Lemon juice Extra Virgin olive oil Horseradish sauce Balsamic vinegar

Place a vegetable ring in the centre of each pate. Slice strawberries. Shred the salad leaves. Mix a little lemon juice and horseradish sauce into the crab with seasoning.

Place sliced strawberries, then shredded salad leaves, followed by crab meat into each vegetable ring, then repeat pressing lightly into the shape of the ring. When ready to serve remove the ring.

Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil. horseradish sauce and balsamic vinegar until thick then drizzle around the crab salad. Garnish with a whole strawberry.

Roast Crailoch Loin of Lamb with garlic, ginger and Rosemary finished with Madeira and Redcurrant Sauce with Cosses Spring Cabbage with ginger and Minted Epicure Potatoes

1 boned Loin of lamb (serves 4 – 6 people depending on size) 2 garlic cloves – finely copped, 1small piece of fresh ginger – finely chopped, sprigs of rosemary

150ml demi glace sauce; Redcurrants Madeira Wine Redcurrant or Rowan jelly

Pull the skin from the lamb then remove the membrane. Rub with the garlic, ginger and some rosemary leaves. Pre heat the oven 200C. Steam the potatoes with a sprig of mint. Place the lamb in the oven for 15 mins. Pour over the Madeira and cook for further 5 mins.

Meanwhile heat the demi glace sauce with the jelly. Remove the meat from the oven and add the juices to the sauce, reduce slightly. Add redcurrants just before serving

Steam the shredded cabbage with a little chopped ginger, whilst carving the meat thickly.

The Volcanic Cloud has struck again and our returning Swedish guests (coming to stay for a week) have had to postpone their holiday, as their flights have been cancelled. This is very sad for us all as it has real economic consequences for tourism. All my planned menus will have to go on hold!
It has been another busy week attending meetings of the Ayrshire tourism forum. There is a new Ayrshire Brand about to be launched promoting the whole of Ayrshire. This morning it is the Ayrshire Food Network meeting at Balmoral Knitwear in Galston. Ayrshire produces some of the best ’slow food’ in the whole of the UK and visitors can really enjoy a great ‘taste trail’.
The garden is very demanding as growth is very fast so it is a challenge to beat the weeds. I have fed the roses, planted the last couple of rows of late main crop potatoes and planted out the early brussel sprouts. The tulips and spring flowers are a delight in the garden and pots.
We are very dog friendly with amazing woodland walks, full of bluebells and wild orchids among rare wild flowers. Our dogs, Bonzo and Monty always enjoy a swim in Crailoch Burn during their walks.

[caption id="attachment_86" align="aligncenter" width="350" caption="Bonzo and Monty resting after their walk"][/caption]

The lambs are playing in our neighbouring  farmers fields and the daffodils are waving in the breeze. Pussy Willow is in the hedgerows and the birds are singing and building nests with the dog hairs groomed from Bonzo and Monty, who are losing their winter coats. My great niece, Emma is staying for part of her Easter holidays. We have been planting potatoes, carrots and parsnips in the garden. Then when it was raining yesterday, we planted cucumber, courgette, cauliflower, calabrese, cabbage and pepper seeds .  She tied the growing tomato plants to stakes.

Watch this programme again on BBC iPlayer here.

Ellie Harrison goes on a journey through Scotland’s Southern Uplands.

After cycling a section of the Southern Upland Way, Ellie visits Wigtown, Scotland’s book capital. Arriving in Creetown, Ellie tells how the cult horror film the Wicker Man was filmed there and talks to some locals who appeared as extras in the film.

Ellie ends her journey inspecting precious barn owl chicks in the Galloway Forest and hunting for hidden treasure near Castle Douglas.