Rumbledethumps

Vegetables

Tradition has it that the Scots do not eat vegetables, which could explain why I am having a lot of bother trying to find side dishes.

England has Bubble and Squeak, Ireland Colcannon and in Scotland, the delicious fry-up of vegetables is called Rumbledethumps. The name is so delightful and intriguing and just where it comes from, who knows. The dish is popular in the Scottish border regions and you will not find it all over Scotland, but when you do enjoy.

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 60 minutes Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

600g (1lb 5oz) mashing potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed

or leftovers

400g (14 oz) swede or turnip, peeled, boiled and mashed

or leftovers

75g (3 oz) unsalted butter

250g (9 oz) Savoy cabbage or Kale, finely sliced

Salt and Pepper

25g 1 oz) cheddar cheese, grated

PREPARATION

Serves 6

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4

Place the mashed potato and swede into a large mixing bowl and put to one side.

Melt 2 oz/ 50g of the butter in a frying pan, add the finely sliced cabbage or kale and cook gently for minutes until softened but not brown.

Add the cabbage or kale to the bowl of potato and swede, add the remaining butter and mash together thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Potato can soak up salt, so be generous with it to add a good flavour.

Place the mashed vegetables in an ovenproof baking dish, sprinkle the cheese on top, cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until heated right through. Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 mins or until golden brown and if possible a little crispy on the top.

Serve piping hot as a side dish with a casserole, pie or any hearty foods. Rumbledethumps is also good as a dish on its own and can be enjoyed by vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

Well its not like me to give up but, yes you have guessed, apart from variations on a theme ie mashed potato, with cabbage, mashed potato with onion etc...the only other mention of vegetables are swede or turnips as they are called in scotland and yes ...mashed, Kail was another one I have found, boiled.....I had hoped to find you something special, so my suggestion would be to go along with your may course a selection of green veg, such as peas, beans, broccoli and if anyone has any scottish vegetable recipes without potato I would love to hear from you thanks.