The beautiful natural surroundings of the Scottish Borders provide some of the finest food in Scotland and the second annual Borders Banquet promises to make full use of the best game, fish, beef and lamb, in attracting visitors to celebrate their fabulous scenery and food. >From 1st November to 10th November 2002, Scottish Border chefs will be opening the doors of hotels and restaurants to offer visitors the opportunity to sample the finest of fare, whilst Border food producers will be revealing the secrets which make their products so unique. As well as fantastic food, the Borders Banquet promises toe tapping music and pure indulgence - a recipe which guarantees success.

 

The ten-day extravangza beginning on Friday 1st November will include events such as :-

 

- An evening of literary fun and feasting on Friday 1st November and Friday 8th November with Iain Agnew from television's Take the High Road, at the Old School Tearooms in St Boswells.

 

- Blending both Gallic and Gaelic influences, please visit Award-winning chef Jessica Osborne at Oscar's Wine Bar in Kelso on Sunday 3rd November. Round off the meal with a complimentary malt whisky.

 

- Sample some of the more traditional Scottish foods when you visit The Hirsel Cottage Tearoom, The Hirsel Country Park, Coldstream, between Sunday 1st November and Sunday 10th November. You can sample scones, soups, stovies, sausages and stews which will be prepared using the best local ingredients.

 

- Enjoy a Borders Beer Festival offering 6 different Scottish Real Ales at the White Swan Hotel, High Street, Earlston. Reasonably priced meals based on locally produced food from Haggis, Neeps and Tatties to smoked salmon, trout and venison. Live entertainment on Saturday 2nd November and 9th November with folk music in the bar on Sunday 10th November at 3pm.

 

For more information about the Borders Banquet, and to request a free brochure click onto www.visitscottishborders.com or call 0870 6080404. The ten-day food extravangza is supported in partnership with Scottish Enterprise Borders and Scottish Borders Tourist Board.

 

The Borders Banquet calls for a Border recipe and one of the flowers amongst the Borders towns, Jedburgh, provides Jethart Treacle Scones - excellent with a fly cup. Jethart is the Scots name for Jedburgh.

 

Jethart Treacle Scones

 

Ingredients : 8 oz (225 g) flour; pinch of salt; 1/2 tablespoonful ground ginger; 1 tablespoon caster sugar; 1/2 teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda; 1/2 oz (10 g) butter; 1 tablespoonful melted treacle; a little buttermilk

 

Sift flour with salt, ginger, sugar and soda into a basin. Rub in butter with your fingertips, then stir in treacle. Make into a softish dough with buttermilk. Roll into a round on a floured board, then cut into rounds about 3 inches across. Cook on a heated girdle, brushed with melted fat until nicely browned below, then turn and cook on the other sides.

 

Jethart Treacle Scones can also be baked on a greased baking sheet in a hot oven (230 deg C; 450 deg F; Gas Mark 7-8) for ten to twelve minutes.