Living well under canvas

GUYROPE gourmet Josh Sutton selects the pick of Yorkshire sites for simultaneous summer camping and good eating

AS far as locations for campsites go, Gordale Scar must surely steal the prize.

Nestled in the jaws of the great limestone scar, allegedly the inspiration for the fortress Helms Deep in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings , this site can boast surroundings on a truly spectacular scale.

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The Orcs and trolls have long since moved on but sheep still graze happily among the tents. Gordale beck cascades over the limestone rocks at the head of the scar and babbles gently through the campsite on its way to join Malham beck and together form the River Aire.

This is a field on a working farm, so the facilities are basic but sufficient for a site of up to 60 pitches. The site is mostly flat and there is plenty of hot water at the wash-up points and showers.

This is a popular spot for young Duke of Edinburgh Award candidates and I’m rather ashamed to say that on a visit with some old friends to this site a few years ago, a couple of the plucky youngsters politely asked us to keep the noise down as they were up and off at six in the morning.

Malcolm Wilson the farmer and site owner has a fine collection of used foil barbeque trays and other abandoned camping debris, neatly stacked in the yard behind the farmhouse. It looks like a sculpture worthy of the Turner art prize.

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Barbeques are permitted on the site but must be raised from the ground. You can borrow some of Malcolm’s art collection to keep yours safely off the grass.

A little further down the road in Kirby Malham you’ll find the Yorkshire chorizo man, Chris Wildman, famous for his innovative on-line farmer’s market, Paganum. It’s his chorizo – a spicy, cured, smoked pork sausage that can be eaten cold – that I have used for the recipe here, and I have to say that I’m not sure you’d find a better sausage even if you went all the way to Madrid. This and other produce is available at Chris’ farm. If he’s not in when you call, give him a ring and he’s happy to deliver. A couple of miles from the campsite is Town End Farm Shop and Tearoom in Airton packed with local produce. You can stock up here with a “hamper for campers” for your guyrope gourmet cooking.

Recipe: a paella of sorts.

Ingredients (serves four)

2 chicken breasts; 100g Yorkshire Chorizo; 1 large red onion; 1 red pepper; 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped; 1/4 dried chilli finely chopped; Olive oil; Large knob of butter; 8oz Bomba or Calasparra paella rice; 500 ml of vegetable stock; Fresh milled pepper and salt for seasoning;Half a glass of manzanilla sherry or very dry white wine; 1 tsp paprika; 3 or 4 large flat mushrooms; 6 or 8 cooked whole shell on prawns; Salt & fresh ground black pepper

Boil a kettle of water for the vegetable stock. Finely chop onion and simmer four or five minutes in a glug of olive oil in a high-sided frying pan.

Halve, de-seed and slice the pepper.

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When the onion softens, throw in chopped garlic, chilli and sliced pepper.

Simmer three or four minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic.

Slice mushrooms and chop chorizo and the chicken into 1cm chunks.

Add the knob of butter to the pan, throw in mushrooms and add chicken and chorizo, turning to make sure chicken seals on all sides. Add the teaspoon of smoked paprika, black pepper and pinch of salt.

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Add rice to the pan and stir ensuring rice is well coated.

Add the half glass of wine/manzanilla and stir. Pour in vegetable stock and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 20 minutes or until rice has absorbed the stock.

Place cooked prawns on top to warm through, 3 or 4 minutes before the rice is fully cooked.

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Enjoy with a small glass of the Manzanilla or white wine (whichever you are using!)

GORDALE SCAR CAMPSITE FACTFILE

* Gordale Farm Campsite, 60 pitches, open all year. Grid Ref: SD636912. In Malham village, take the right turn signed Gordale, over the little bridge and passing the Lister’s Arms on your left. Follow the narrow road for about a mile and a half.

* Prices: £3 per item (eg one tent, one car, two adults = £12.)

* Malcolm Wilson, Gordale Farm, Malham, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 4DL. 01729 830333.

* Paganum Produce Ltd, Church End Farm, Kirkby Malham, North Yorkshire, BD23 4BU.Tel: 01729 830727.

* Town End Farm Shop, Airton, Skipton, BD23 4BE. 01729 830902

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