Spurtles, Barred Girdles and Bannock Spades

Turning a bannock on the barred girdle with a spade

Today at the Trent House, the air was filled with the fragrance and smoke of peat burning as the Scottish Highland heritage of William Trent was honored with the preparation of oat bannocks and kale.  The large cast iron pot (to the left in the picture) is filled with kale.  Participants in the program ground oats with a quern to prepare the oat flour that was mixed with water with a spurtle.  Just enough liquid was added to use the bannock roller to make an oatcake the size of a plate.  The bannock spade (pictured) was used to turn the bannock on the barred girdle.  At the right in the picture is an oatcake toasting on the backstone or bannock toaster.  As the Trent House could not have open fires, the peat burned in braziers.  This program is wonderful for any Celtic event, to bring to life the foodways of Scotland!  For information on this program and other programs available through Heart to Hearth Cookery, visit www.hearttohearthcookery.com