[Zoya]

Last year, we had a Home Front Sunday, when I made recipes from rationed ingredients, Woolton pie and Yorkshire 'cheese' tarts.

“Woolton” pie was an adaptable dish of vegetables, created at the Savoy Hotel in London, which was one of a number of recipes commended to the British public by the Ministry of Food during the Second World War to enable a nutritional diet to be maintained despite shortages and rationing of many types of food. It was named after Frederick Marquis, 1st Lord Woolton (1883-1964), who became Minister of Food in 1940.

For the filling:
2lb of seasonal vegetables (carrots, leeks, swede, potato, cauliflower etc.)
salt & pepper to season
1 tablespoon vegetable extract, or 2 oxo cubes
1oz oatmeal
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, or herb of choice*
For the pastry crust:
2oz cooked mashed potato
1oz available fat2oz grated cheese
2oz oatmeal
4oz ‘national’ (wholemeal) flour

1. Peel and chop vegetables and boil until nearly tender.
2. Strain and reserve 3/4 pint of the stock water.
3. Arrange vegetables in a large pie dish.
4. Add the vegetable extract/oxo cubes and oatmeal to the stock, and simmer until thickened.
5. Pour the sauce over the vegetables, and add the chopped parsley and salt and pepper.
6. For the potato crust, mix the potato and the fat.
7. Add the cheese, oatmeal and flour and mix with water to a stiff dough.
8. Roll out and cover the pie.
9. Bake at gas mark 3, 325°F, 170°C for 30 minutes.
10. Serve with gravy and available vegetables.

Yorkshire 'Cheese' Tarts

For the pastry:
4oz ‘national’ flour2oz margarine
1oz sugar*
For the filling:
1.5 oz sugar
2oz margarine
1 tablespoon dessicated coconut (and a teaspoon for sprinkling)
1.5 oz currants or raisins
1-2 teaspoons of flour
half an egg, beaten
1 tablespoon of jam (optional)

1. Rub together the fat and the flour for the pastry.
2. Add the sugar and enough cold water to make a soft dough.
3. Cover and chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
4. For the filling, beat together the sugar and margarine.
5. Add the currants/raisins and coconut, and bind with the egg.
6. Add a small amount of flour to stop it curdling.
7. Roll out the pastry, cut into rounds, and place in a greased pastry tin.
8. If using the jam, divide equally between the tarts.
9. Cover with the filling, and sprikle with a little reserved coconut.
10. Bake at gas mark 3, 325°F, 170°C for 20 minutes until golden brown.
11. Serve warm with custard, or eat when cold.

The tarts were really nice, I'd def. make them again, we all liked them, but the pie was really bland! Using oatmeal to thicken the gravy isn't something I'd do again, I don't think

Nice to have an excuse to be a bit 'girly' on here!