WW2 Rationing Recipes - Canadian and British

[CrealCritter]

I'm watching the news about the power outage in NY City. OH MY GOD it's DOOMSDAY. Sorry but I have to shake my head, "what if" something REALLY bad happened? I mean a power outage in NY City is like a doomsday event. The majority of people don't even know how to grow a flipping tomato, it would be bad, real bad, if something major ever happened.

 

[Marianne]

That sure won't get you a job as a food reporter



I am certain, given the limits of food available, that some truly strange combos came about. The butter & tea OR coffee would be the hard part for me in that list. The old farmers who had big gardens & extras canned, did ok -- all things considered.

That's right. But the British farmers also had to plant what the Minister of Agriculture told them to plant or risk losing their farms. They didn't always give the best decision since they didn't know the soil condition, etc. Most of the rural folks also had to take on extra people from the cities, land girls, etc. But I'm sure they still ate better.

 

[CrealCritter]

That's right. But the British farmers also had to plant what the Minister of Agriculture told them to plant or risk losing their farms. They didn't always give the best decision since they didn't know the soil condition, etc. Most of the rural folks also had to take on extra people from the cities, land girls, etc. But I'm sure they still ate better.

What are "Land Girls"? Sound like a bunch of girls, I would like, down to earth.

 

[rodeogirl]

What are "Land Girls"? Sound like a bunch of girls, I would like, down to earth.

The land girls where essentially City and town girls that volunteered to be shipped off to Farms to help. They would be trained and given there uniform then sent to a farm to help. Farm girls weren't allowed to volunteer because they were already in place in a farm. (When I get bored I research some random things)

 

[Britesea]

There was a mini series about Land Girls a while back, we watched it on Netflix

 

[Marianne]

I cracked up laughing when I saw this picture.
"This fun and tasty recipe for potato piglets feeds six people but only uses six potatoes and six sausages.

When served with a seasonal salad, this easy and nutritious meal will delight the children and provide a thrifty summertime meal using British or home-grown potatoes. The recipe originates from a Ministry of Food leaflet from WWII featuring Potato Pete."

• 6 medium fluffy potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward
• 6 skinned sausages
• Mixed salad leaves, radishes, tomatoes and cucumber to serve

Method:
1. Cut a core out of the centre of each potato and stuff the sausage meat in its place.

2. Bake in the oven at 200C / 180C fan / gas mark 6 for about 1 hour.

3. When the potatoes are cooked remove from the oven and serve with salad.

 

[Marianne]

Scotch Hotpot

Ingredients:
• 450g peeled smooth potatoes such as Desiree
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 600g shin of beef, cut into 2cm pieces, excess fat removed
• 1 tbsp rosemary leaves, chopped
• 225g tomatoes
• 2 apples, peeled
• 2 onions
• 1 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• Around 300ml fresh good quality beef stock
• Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan then dip the beef into well-seasoned flour. Fry in the frying pan until golden brown all over then set to one side.

2. Slice the apple, onion, potatoes and tomatoes.

3. Arrange a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover with beef then with the mixed vegetable and apple slices then sprinkle with a little rosemary.

4. Repeat layers, finishing with potato.

5. Pour over the stock then cover with a lid and bake in a preheated oven at 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 for 2 ½ hrs and serve with green vegetables.

https://lady.co.uk/recipes-wartime-favourites-potato-pete

 

[Marianne]

I had to google grams to ounces - 600 grams = 21 oz.
Seems like a lot of meat during rationing days. Maybe because it's 'shin of beef'?

Oh! Back at the top of the page, the recipes have been 'given a modern makeover'. Still looks really good.

 

[Marianne]

This is what our family called Toad in a Hole. Just an egg in a piece of buttered bread cooked on a griddle. WW2 British called it Mock Fried Egg or Egg in a Nest. It used reconstituted egg powder and if you were lucky to still have some, you fried it in some bacon grease.

• 1 egg (fresh shell egg or reconstituted dried egg)
• 2 slices wheatmeal bread
• salt and pepper
• dripping

Step 1 Beat the egg. Cut holes from the centre of each slice of bread with small scone cutter.
Step 2 Dip the slices quickly into water and then fry on one side (in dripping if you have any available) until golden brown.
Step 3 Turn on to the other side, pour half the egg into the hole in each slice of bread, cook till the bread is brown on the underneath side.
Step 4 The bread cut from the centres can be fried and served with the slices. Serve straight away with salt and pepper to season and some HP or Daddies sauce or brown Chop sauce.

https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2...-egg-in-a-nest-ww2-mock-fried-egg-recipe.html

 

[Marianne]

My mother would make this once in a while when I was a kid. I thought the egg whites almost had the texture of rubber. I haven't thought about it since then. Ha!