Waste not, want not is the way to good eating
"Shop sensibly and seasonally. Experiment with cheaper cuts of meat. Don't be wasteful, and make the most of leftovers."
This is the clarion call from The Thrifty Kitchen, a delightful new cookbook from the charity Independent Age, which supports older people living at home.
Jacoba Oldham, who works for Independent Age in Yorkshire and south Durham, says: "Seventy years on from the start of the Second World War, we find ourselves in the midst of an economic downturn. While the situation now cannot be compared to that of wartime rationing, many people find themselves tightening their belts and thinking carefully about what goes into the shopping basket."
The cornucopia of recipes in the book was gathered from volunteers, supporters and friends of the charity from across the county – many originating from old Yorkshire houses. In addition, there are contributions from celebrity chefs – Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall, Mark Hix, Peter Gordon, Allegra McEvedy and Delia Smith.
"The book is about applying the principles of wartime cooking in a modern context, using modern ingredients" says Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall .
"It's about the satisfaction of shopping sensibly and the enjoyment of observing the seasonal cycle of growth and harvest."
Jane points out that when rationing was introduced, only two eggs and three rashers of bacon were allowed per person per week, plus a small amount of cooked ham. Cooks had
to be very imaginative and resourceful when preparing meals.
But the recipes in this book are not all spam fritters, dried egg and sheep's head stew.
I trawled the index and found some really good examples of recipes which stretch a few best quality ingredients a long way.
I think Peter Gordon's hot smoked salmon fish cakes with dill mustard dressing is an excellent example of this. He uses only 250g of tasty hot smoked salmon to make eight large fish cakes or 16 small ones.
Susie Mackie's marmalade pudding is a wonderful example of using up store cupboard ingredients to make a really delicious pudding for a cold winter's day.
Allegra McEvedy's gammon, leek and barley hot pot is an excellent example of cooking with seasonal vegetables and making the most of a cheaper cut of meat by cooking it gently and slowly. This recipe really gets the flavour and texture of the ingredients to work well together.
If you have not tried pearl barley, please do. It is a great way of making meat go further. Add to stews and soups which need at least a 30-minute cooking time or simmer in a pan of boiling water for about 35 minutes and drain. The nutty barley can then be used in sustaining herby salads which makes a brilliant lunchbox standby. It is a
very inexpensive store cupboard staple.
Peter Gordon's hot smoked salmon fish cakes with dill mustard dressing
Makes 8 large or 16 small fish cakes
500g potato, peeled and quartered
1 red onion peeled and thinly sliced
3 tbsp grain mustard
2 tbsp of brown or white sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp dill, chopped
4 tbsp self raising flour (plus extra for dusting the fish cake)
250g hot smoked salmon, flaked, skin and bones removed
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
Vegetable oil for cooking
Rocket or watercress for garnish
Put the potatoes and half the sliced onions in a pot and cover with cold water. Season with salt and gently boil until the potatoes are cooked. Drain the cooked potatoes, mash and mix with the flour.
Add the salmon and the remaining sliced onion and parsley. Mix well and season to taste. Divide into either eight large or 20 small fish cakes. Mix the mustard, sugar, vinegar and dill together. Serve with a flourish of rocket or watercress and the dill mustard dressing.
Allegra McEvedy's gammon, leek and barley hotpot
This recipe works best with vegetables from the allium, brassica and root family. This is tasty a wholesome dish and a great way of using a variety of vegetables and making a small amount of meat go a long way.
Serves 4
1 litres of chicken stock
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 large leek, sliced
A few leaves of green cabbage leaves, eg, savoy
Half a small swede, peeled and sliced.
4 x 200g slices of gammon
170g pearl barley
2-3 tbsp chopped parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the stock in a large saucepan with the garlic, bay, thyme and season well and bring to a simmer.
Trim the fat off the gammon and keep to one side. To assemble the hot pot,
place a few slices of leek in the bottom of a large saucepan or casserole
dish (with a lid) followed
by a third of the barely
and a two of the pieces of gammon, some seasoning and a few slices of swede. Continue to layer the ingredients in this way until you have run out.
Pour enough warmed stock to cover the ingredients. Scatter the gammon rinds and chopped parsley for flavour and place a lid on the saucepan or casserole and cook either in a pre-heated oven at 200C, or simmer on the hob for an hour or until the ingredients are soft and tender.
Remove the gammon
rinds and serve with either mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
Marmalade pudding
Best to use homemade marmalade for this if possible, otherwise use a good quality traditional marmalade.
Serves 4
3 eggs
85g butter, softened
3 tbsp orange marmalade
1 tbsp caster sugar
140ml milk
70g fresh white breadcrumbs
Separate the eggs; beat the yolks, butter and sugar together until light.
Beat in the marmalade. Taste and add more sugar
if necessary. Add the milk and breadcrumbs. Whisk
egg whites until stiff.
Fold the marmalade mixture into the beaten egg whites. Pour into a buttered pudding dish.
Bake at 190C/gas mark 5
for 40-45 minutes, or until well risen and golden on
top.
Serve hot with cream or ice cream.
www.joanransley.co.uk
The Thrifty Kitchen is available directly from the charity Independent age, www.thriftykitchen.org, or by calling 0207 605 4200.
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