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Burns supper 2022

We’ve had a Burns supper every year for several years now; since I discovered this is a thing in Scotland although I’ve never been to an official one and I so we could be doing it all wrong. For us, it’s a nice excuse to have vegetarian haggis with lots of roast vegetables, drink whisky, and read poetry.

This year we invited some French friends of ours to celebrate with us and it was particularly cultured because one of our friends plays the lute, which he brought with him, and so I felt like I was having a medieval feast in an English manor house. Although strictly speaking I think the middle ages predates the lute but who cares about historical accuracy.

Ben wore his kilt again and looked very much like the chieftain.

This year he even had the sock knife!

The food was delicious and consisted of vegetarian haggis, roast potatoes, leeks, parsnips, sweet potato, carrots, swede, peas, whisky sauce, cranberry sauce and this year I tried making a vegan cranachan for dessert which turned out very well. I will definitely be making it again.

There was poetry reading.

And little Zachary recited his poem and did the best Scottish accent out of all of us.

I’m looking forward to doing it all again next year.

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Rachel M

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10 responses to “Burns supper 2022”

  1. Russell Avatar
    Russell

    Your Vegetarian Haggis is a truly brilliant idea, for the original , like its Sassenach cousin saurmagen, is, in the words of a Scots poetfar earlier than Burns:
    ” a fell and greasy meat, perilous to man’s health ”

    Nae true carnivore would ask for more haggis were a charitable vegetarian to offer him a toothsome and grollach-free pottage such as yours. Do give us the recipe, for sounds like an ideal side-dish for game.

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      Yes, I completely agree that the vegetarian haggis is way better than the saturated-fatty one. I didn’t make the haggis though – all the supermarkets here sell the vegetarian version and this one I got from Marks & Spencer. However, I do have a recipe if you want it. I haven’t tried it but it looks nice and it’s from the Scottish Vegan Cookbook by Jackie Jones. It’s a terrific cookbook and I highly recommend it. Here’s a photo I took of the recipe:

      Reply
  2. fossilcyclist Avatar
    fossilcyclist

    Ode To A Vegetarian Haggis

    1. Oh vegetarian haggis whit a view
    Thou glorious, steaming bag of veggie goo
    No one could ever say that you
    Dish death to beasts,
    Not a single murdered chicken, pig or coo
    Taints your braw feasts.

    2. But noble pud you must ignore the taunting bores
    From meaty Caledoniaís shores,
    The moaning bloody carnivores
    Who think you need
    To slaughter sheep in scores
    To have good feed.

    3. Thy beauteous form can satisfy
    The keenest neb or mouth or eye,
    Wií as brawí a meal as ane could buy
    Pulse, veg and spice
    And evín sheep eaters that dare to try
    Say Oh itís nice!

    4 So stuff the purists and their cries of sin
    Letís split this pudding, serve and shovel it in,
    And what the hell if itís wee skin
    A humble plastic bag is.
    Letís drink a toast and weíll begin
    The vegetarian haggis.

    Tim Dalling January 1993

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      That’s the exact poem I read out at our Burns supper. I read it every year. I think you may have shared it with me once before that’s how I found it. It’s wonderful! I should know it by heart by now but I still have to read it. Maybe next year I’ll try to remember it.

      Reply
      1. fossilcyclist Avatar
        fossilcyclist

        My brother in law wrote a Liverpool version of a Burns poem. His was called Sam o’ Shanker, where the horse is substituted for an old Morris minor car. I give this a go every few years for Burns Night.

  3. Russell Avatar
    Russell

    Marks & Spencer ? This changes everything!

    Far from Fair be Marks and Spencer’s face,
    For its vegan Haggis flings disgrace
    Aboon locavores that come to table
    To taste whereof Doonside cooks are able

    Auld Scotland wants nae skinking fare
    Lang ane it can axe kine, snare hare
    Or roe deer grollach , a sport dour vegans
    Would abolish.

    Tis’ not to eat of painch, tripe, or thairm
    True Scots give chase, but to take quarry
    Worthy o’ a grace they wind the horn,
    Ane like Robby Burns do strive,
    Ne’er tae be hindmost, on the drive

    Yet from Boxing Day shoot to Burns Night moot
    Lang may the vegan haggis thrive ,
    As a toothsome trencher for a brawny bag

    Reply
  4. Rachel M Avatar
    Rachel M

    That’s wonderful! Did you just make that up?

    Reply
  5. Katrina Avatar
    Katrina

    Apart from the haggis, did you do all the cooking?

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      Yep! I did. It was mostly peeling and chopping vegetables. I made the whisky sauce though and it was very good.

      Reply
  6. Russell Avatar
    Russell

    I was inspired by the ingredients list.

    What’s not to like about chestnuts ,chickpeas, quinoa and mushrooms?

    It may not be a haggis but it looks fit to stuff a swan !

    Reply

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