CHEF Philippa Davis found herself whirling from 2014 into 2015 cooking in Scotland for a Hogmanay celebration for about 25 guests. She and a sidekick conjured up feast after feast – curry nights, Middle Eastern spreads, hearty lunches, big breakfasts, game pies and decadent afternoon teas. But the end of the game season is close at hand …

Having cooked a lot of game over the last couple of months I have to say I feel a tinge of sadness as the season comes to a close. Grouse are well “out of the woods,” as their season closes in early December with some of the more northern Scottish estates ending it even earlier as, frankly, no matter how much of an enthusiast, it’s just too darn cold to stand out on a moor and wait for a bird to fly your way in November or December. Partridge and pheasant still have to be wary but by the 31st they too can sleep sound at night.

You may be thinking that I will wistfully be giving you a game recipe for this postcard… but I have a far more important list of ingredients to share with you.

I have noticed a trend that seems to have caught on in every house I visited lately and unfortunately it’s not a good one. Colds, lurgies, coughs and fevers seem to be rife with some places sounding more like infirmaries than households!

So to battle this I decided that this recipe should be a juice to help set you all back on track. Packed full of fruits, vegetables and herbs that will help reboot the system, it is perhaps not the drink that you were hoping for, but remember it will do you the power of good.

 

REBOOT JUICE

Serves 2

Small bunch of parsley stalks (loads of vitamins and may act as an antiseptic for teeth and gum disease)

50g watercress (helps with a healthy complexion)
2 apples (boosts your immune system)
2 sticks of celery (soothes the nerves)
2 large peeled carrots (helps to regulate blood sugar and boost the immune system)
1 finger of ginger (anti-inflammatory )
40g white cabbage (lowers cholesterol)

Put everything through the juicer and drink straight away. I admit it may not be the tastiest thing you drink this month or the most attractive but it will do you good, so get juicing and bottoms up!

Discover more of Philippa’s delicious and entertaining postcard recipes by visiting www.philippadavis.com