Day one of my modern wartime rationing started with a bowl of weetabix, well the equivalent sort from Aldi but I always call them weetabix ... with a little 'w'. Somehow, I haven't got the photo, I could have sworn I took it but no, it's not on my camera or phone. Oh well, I'm sure you can picture two little weetabix with a good splash of milk in a little green Beryl Wood's Ware bowl.
Soon after breakfast I started making my lunch and evening meal, as it was to be a bowl of vegetable soup and a Lord Woolton Pie the base was exactly the same ... vegetables.
Before long everything was in the pan and simmering gently in a couple of pints of stock.
Time to get out the unsliced loaf that I bought the other day.
I purposefully bought it a little bit early as the good old National Loaf was always sold one day after it was made, so that it would be easy to slice with little wastage, and unlike modern bread it turned into a solid brick within twenty-four hours.
Oh, how lucky we are. My more modern wholemeal loaf was still wonderfully soft and easy to slice.
On the menu for lunch was Vegetable Soup and bread, but the vegetables looked so good that I decided to simply have them as they were. It was delicious.
I put 12oz of the vegetable mix from the pan into my enamel dish and left it to cool ready to be topped later, then I whizzed up the rest with my stick blender to make a pan of soup for later in the week. That's a few lunches sorted out then. I think I have it twice more on this week's menu so some will be frozen for future use.
After lunch, I was either brave or mad ... I'll tell you which later in the week!!
I used half of my week's fat ration to make up some pastry and crumble mix. I just did the usual half fat to flour ratio.
Then I split the rubbed-in mixture in half.
To one half I added some salt and water and made pastry, which went to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours. The other half had an ounce of my sugar ration added to it and a spoonful or two of oats, this will be my crumble mix for on top of some of the apples and maybe a blackberry or two from the freezer.
Once cooled the vegetables were topped with the rested rolled-out pastry, which I photographed just in case it all went horribly wrong in the oven!!
Lord Woolton Pie
But I needn't have worried it came out looking very presentable and it was delicious. I should perhaps have had some gravy and cabbage with it as was my original plan, but I just fancied trying the pastry exactly as it was, and I wasn't really that hungry.
It was delicious.
Taken from this book, but this recipe is also to be found in lots of other books, especially those written my Margeurite Patten.
So that was day one over, and I found it pretty satisfying to be honest. I had to fight the urge to snack a few times, but a cup of coffee in my little Jasmine cup and saucer or a nice glass of cold water straight from the fridge and I was fine.
Oh, and now that the spring onions have had a good trim they fit on the shelf in the fridge. 😃
Sue xx
Those veggies look delicious as does the pie. Sometimes it's so refreshing just to simplify what we eat for a while but you really take it to the next level - thanks for the posts
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
It was so nice to just eat simple vegetables that tasted of themselves, no curry powder or garlic granules, just vegetables in a mild stock. And the pie filling was equally nice, a bit dryer ... it did need some gravy really ... but with the added texture of crumbly pastry. A successful day.
DeleteLovely simple tasty food. I am as guilty as most for adding too many spices to my meals which must dull taste us to the actual flavour of the veggies. Love crumbly pastry too. Never thought to make pastry and crumble topping at the same time, brilliant, I am always learning from you. Thank you.
DeleteI'm really enjoying the simple flavours. I'm all for shortcuts and less washing up, so making two things at once is a real no-brainer to me.
DeleteFollowing your day to day rationing and today will be copying your menu thank you for sharing Jeannette x
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, the menu is very basic, I do hope you enjoy it.
DeleteThose veg look so good and thanks, Sue, for the brilliant tip on making pastry AND crumble topping at the same time. Day 1 and you've already taught an old dog a new trick! Woolton pie will be on the menu for us next week too.
ReplyDeleteIt's the rubbing in that is the hardest so I always think why not just do double and save on time and washing of bowls etc. It also works to make scones just add your sugar or cheese to the mixture and whip up a couple for cooking while the oven is on.
DeleteAnother fantastic idea, Sue, thank you 💡👍
DeleteYum - pie, gravy, cabbage, thank you for sharing it all.
ReplyDeleteWe're in the middle of our first storm of the Autumn with almost horizontal rain, high wind and leaves being stripped off the trees - just the sort of weather for your menu suggestions.
You really can't beat a good pie can you.
DeleteYes, I couldn't imagine eating this lovely, homely food in the heatwave of the summer we've just had, but it's perfect for this time of year. :-)
This pie looks lovely. I will definitely make again! I read a lovely fictional book a few years ago- I wish I could remember the name. The book was set during wartime and one of the main characters was the cook in a big house, now in charge of feeding all the troops and volunteers on rations etc. It showed her trying to make the food go further. This was only a small part of the book, not the main story but very interesting and I did make most of the recipes mentioned xxx
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like an interesting read. The pie was gorgeous and will definintely be repeated. :-)
DeleteI prefer Aldi weetabix to the real kind. They don't turn to mush in seconds and retain a bit of crunch.
ReplyDeleteAll those meals look wonderful and very filling. xx
I never buy actual Weetabix as I much prefer all the supermarkets own brand versions of them so much better ... and of course the price is much better too!!
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