Hello, darlings!
 
Miss Windsor excitedly presents her rather spiffing, yet terribly simple Great British wartime dish – Dig for Victory Veggie Asparagus Tart. A recreation of Irene Veal’s Vegetable Tart, on page 198, Recipes of the 1940’s.
 
I say it’s been quite a while since I’ve graced you with my presence. For my lack of, please do accept my heartfelt apologies as I was “incommunicado” for the best part of last year due to my posting as head cook in a top-secret location along the Western Front. I was not quite the Forces Sweetheart, but most definitely thought of very fondly by the courageous and kindly gentlemen who sampled Miss Windsor’s exquisite wartime cuisine……instead, one was affectionately known as Queen of the Naafi!

Darlings, as I frantically wave my British flag and jump with glee, one is indeed cock-a-hoop! You see, on 8th of May 1945, the war in Europe finally came to a halt – famously known as VE (Victory in Europe) Day, which Winston Churchill declared as a public holiday. Now zoom forward some 75 years, on Friday 8th of May 2020 (to be precise), The Royal British Legion calls upon the nation to join forces and mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Moving swiftly onto my recipe, as per Irene’s instructions, it is packed to the rafters with wartime staples such as Potato Pete and Doctor Carrot which were plentiful during wartime Great Britain. In fact, The UK Ministry of Food encouraged the good folks of Britain to substitute rationed goods for carrots instead, therefore, the Agricultural Ministry increased the commercial production of this marvellous culinary asset.

PHOTO CREDIT – CLICK HERE!

Notably, if one had exhausted their supply of homegrown potatoes, nurtured and harvested within the boundaries of one’s Dig for Victory allotment or back garden, it was reported that many folks ended up in a spot of bother. Trouble is, local greengrocers often had limited supplies of potatoes, and so were not too sympathetic towards your potato quandary.

​Therefore, before entering a store, it was not unusual to be faced with a sign that read Regular Customers Only or if you were lucky, non-regular customers would be granted “one pound” of potatoes only – I say, barely enough to feed a large family!

PHOTO CREDIT – CLICK HERE!

​On a more jolly note, the 75th anniversary of VE Day propelled Miss Windsor to push the “U-boat” out a little, and so tweaked Irene’s recipe to include the addition of asparagus (well, it is asparagus season!), blue cheese, spring onion, seasoned white sauce, and baked within a buttery, light and flaky shortcrust pastry case.

Darlings, now I must share with you a most remarkable occurrence, a gift, that Mother Nature bestowed upon Miss Windsor on the 21st April 2020, which funnily enough, was on the very day that asparagus lovers celebrate National Asparagus Day!

One evening, as I pottered around my Dig for Victory vegetable patch, out of the corner of my eye I spied a small crop of asparagus – a miraculous moment, indeed! A sure sign from Mother Nature that one must recreate a British wartime recipe, with the inclusion of asparagus, to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Darlings, when I delved deep into the history of Great British asparagus, I was delighted to learn that Battersea, London has a bit of an interesting past with this vegetable, an affinity one could say. During the late 1600s, St Mary’s Church was nestled within many acres of market gardens, and one almighty plot of 40 acres grew asparagus only – Cor blimey!

PHOTO CREDIT  – CLICK HERE

​During the Victorian period, the Enclosure Act came into force, therefore, Battersea Fields were divided into allotments and rented to local residents.

Then around 1846, in an attempt to eradicate the extracurricular activities of those who partook in illegal racing and gambling connected to the infamous Red House Tavern, a stonking 198 acres of Battersea Fields were turned into a royal park, which was opened by Queen Victoria (curtsey please) on the 31st March 1858.

​At the start of the First World War, as an early Dig for Victory campaign, a proportion of the park reverted to allotment plots – one presumes asparagus became a common cultivation, once again. And of course, during the Second World War, Battersea Park witnessed the return of the Dig for Victory campaign, thus our trusty asparagus returned as a fighting commodity for the health of our nation.

Miss Windsor wholeheartedly dedicates her recipe to all persons who contributed towards the war effort – including Commonwealth and allied forces, civilians, evacuees, The Women’s Land Army, munition workers, and of course those who tended to their Dig for Victory allotments/gardens……the list goes on.

Your dedication, bravery, loyalty to your country, selfless actions, and unfettered efforts, finally defeated Nazi Germany and put an end to the horrors of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich.

​I wish to pay particular thanks and homage to a couple of close family members who risked their lives for their country and fought to END the Second World War. Fortunately, my grandfather Lawrence Alfred Parfitt, who was a Royal Marine Commando, survived the war.

However, tragically, on the 1st June 1940, at the tender age of 22 years old, my third cousin Stanley Ewart Thomas, a Sapper in the Royal Engineers (205 Field Coy) was killed in action by enemy air bombing on the beach of Dunkirk.

On a lighter note, now it’s all quiet on the Western Front, so to speak! you’re invited to join the gaiety and indulge in a slice of Miss Windsor’s “Dig for Victory” Veggie Asparagus Tart – it’ll certainly give Lord Woolton’s Pie a run for its money!

Oh, and please note, in keeping with my theme of wartime Great Britain, all measurements are in “imperial” (converted into “metric” – for the modern-day society), and I express my sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused.

​Enjoy! 

Miss Windsor x

​If you wish to further your acquaintance with Doctor Carrot and Potato Pete, or fancy recreating another wartime classic, then please do CLICK HERE for Miss Windsor’s Meatless Wartime Farmhouse Pie! 

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR – EXCEPT FOR GRANPA LARRY and COUSIN STANLEY. 

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Miss Windsor’s Asparagus Veggie Tart

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 Guests

Author Miss Windsor

Equipment

• 1 x 9 & 3/4 inch (24 cm) tart tin.  

Ingredients

Short Crust Pastry

• Homemade or shop bought will suffice – enough to line a 9 & 3/4 inch (24 cm) tart tin.  
• 1 whisked egg yolk

Vegetable Filling

• 3 medium potatoes
• 4 medium carrots
• 10 – 12 stems of asparagus
• 1 can of mixed beans (e.g kidney, haricot, etc)

White Sauce

• 1 oz (30g) butter
• 1 oz (30g) plain flour
• 3/4 pint (425ml) milk
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Grated Cheddar cheese
• Blue cheese

Decoration

• 12 stems of asparagus
• 4 stalks of spring onion
• 15 Kidney beans (reserved from can of mixed beans)
• Cracked black pepper
• Parsley (fresh or dried)

Instructions

Shortcrust pastry – to bake blind.

• Preheat your oven to 210*C / 190 Fan / gas mark 7.
• Prepare the tart tin and brush with melted butter. Line with shortcrust pastry and fill with baking beans.
• Bake blind until edges are light brown, then adjust the temperature to 195 *C / 175 Fan / gas mark 5.
• Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until the pastry is a rich, golden colour. Then brush with whisked egg yolk – this will achieve a moisture proof barrier; so the filling doesn’t make the pastry soggy. Bake for a further 2 minutes and put aside.  

Vegetable Filling

• Cut the potatoes and carrots into thin slices, then chop the asparagus stems into small pieces, discarding the woody part at the end. Using separate vessels cook the vegetables with a generous dusting of salt – to bring out the flavour.
• Cook the can of mixed beans with the water from the tin, add a little more if needed.
• Drain the vegetables and fetch your pastry base.
• First arrange a layer of potato around the edge, followed by a layer of carrot.
• Then add a circle of chopped asparagus.
• In the centre carefully spoon in the mixed beans – your tart should now appear half full.
• Darlings, now it’s time to crack on with the white sauce!

White Sauce

• In a small saucepan, over a gentle heat, blend the butter and flour together until creamy.
• Add the milk, stirring constantly, and bring to the boil.
• Season well with salt and pepper.
• When thickened (not too much, though) remove the pan from the heat.
• Pour half of the mixture over the tart filling.
• Sprinkle with a thick layer of grated cheese and crumble over the blue cheese.
• Repeat with another layer of vegetables.
• Pour over the remainder of the white sauce and repeat step 6.
• Decorate with asparagus stems, and if necessary, prune a little so they fit snuggly inside the tart tin.  
• Scatter with chopped spring onions and decorate around the edge and centre with kidney beans.
• Pop into the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
• For the finishing touch, grill for a few minutes and then smatter with pepper and parsley.

The post Miss Windsor’s “Dig for Victory” Asparagus Veggie Tart! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!

Well, I say, thank you for popping by – it’s always a pleasure!

So, whilst you’re here I wish to titillate your taste buds with my little gratifying meaty balls of deliciousness (Oh, I say!).

I guarantee that my recipe created with quails’ eggs, butchers best sausage meat, spring onion, a smattering of parsley, plus a dash of whole grain and Dijon mustard, will satisfy all carnivore palates and will certainly give Fortnum & Mason a run for their money.

It is true, Fortum and Mason proclaimed that the Scotch Egg was invented in 1738 at their store in Piccadilly, London – Miss Windsor’s favourite! And so, according to Fortum and Mason, the Scotch Egg commenced its culinary journey during the Georgian period (1714 to 1837).

I dare say, according to Fortnum & Mason: this bundle of runny yolk, spiced outdoor-reared pork, and finger-friendly breadcrumb covering sits proudly as the original “portable pick-me-up” – a trifle confused?

Well, in short, it was originally invented for their affluent patrons who would travel by horse and coach to their country abodes. So, when in need of a quick “pick me up”, one would delve into their pocket and emerge with a Scotch Egg wrapped in a silk handkerchief.

Moving swiftly onto my spiffing collaboration with darling Mrs Simkins. You see, although Miss Windsor is known to have a rather sweet tooth; instead of baking yet another sugar-laden goodie for our summer garden party, I thought best to offer a dish of the savoury kind.

Therefore, I called upon my culinary mentor – the bountiful Mrs Beeton – who advised Miss Windsor to recreate her Scotch Egg recipe.

Of course, Scotch Eggs are usually consumed in the larger form, however, one wished to reduce the size – just a smidgen – to sit comfortably amongst the other teatime treats. So, with this in mind, I opted for wee quails’ eggs – the perfect accompaniment to Mrs Simkins Delicious Dainty Tea-Time Sandwiches.

Darlings, I must admit, I twice attempted my recipe, “Oh, dearie me!” you chirp with a touch of concern. But do not despair my dears; as you know Miss Windsor always prevails! You see, when fried in oil the meat and breadcrumb coating just cracked and then slid off the egg – an utter disaster. Now fuddled and panicked, I called upon Mrs Simkins, who advised baking my eggy beauties instead – they turned out “egg- ceptional”!
​
Before you press on with my recipe, I advise these are best served at a summer garden party, afternoon tea, buffet, or handy enough to pop into a Tupperware vessel and then pecked at whilst picnicking at your favourite country spot.

I say these little darlings must be enjoyed with a generous dollop of Piccalilli. Of course, I favour Piccadilly Piccalilli from Fortnum & Mason – only the best will do for Miss Windsor!

​Here’s my darling culinary amour’s, Mrs Simkins’s, delicious addition to your picnic hamper!

MRS SIMKINS DELICIOUS DAINTY TEA-TIME SANDWICHES!

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR EXCEPT FOR MRS SIMKINS DAINTY TEA-TIME SANDWICHES! 

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Miss Windsor’s Mini Scotch Eggs

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 8 delightful guests (2 per guest)

Equipment

• large baking tray 
• mini-chopper or similar implement! 

Ingredients

• 14 to 16 quails’ eggs

Ingredients for Meat Layer

• 500g (just over 2 cups) of sausage meat – preferably from your local butcher! 
• 3 x finely chopped spring onions 
• 1 heaped tablespoon of parsley 
• 1 heaped tablespoon of wholegrain mustard 
• 1 heaped teaspoon of Dijon mustard 
• dash of cracked black pepper & sea salt 

Ingredients for Breadcrumb Coating

• 2 slices of stale brown bread 
• 4 large crackers or crispbreads 
• 1 egg 
• handful of plain or all-purpose flour 

Instructions

• Darlings, squeaky clean hands – Ta very muchly! 
• Pre-heat oven to 200 *C / 180 Fan / 400 *F / gas mark 6 
• First off, fill a large saucepan with approximately 2.5 cm (1 inch) of water – which is just enough to cover the eggs. Then bring to the boil. 
• When the water begins to ‘gallop’ – neighhh! gently drop in the eggs and boil for exactly 2 minutes. 
• Allow the eggs to completely cool – whilst doing so, it’s time to crack on with the breadcrumb coating! 
• Darlings, for this exercise one may succumb to the aid of modern technology! Please reach for your mini-chopper or similar implement, and whizz together the crackers and brown bread – transfer to a medium size bowl. 
• Now, moving swiftly on to the delicious meaty layer! So, using your mini-chopper again, finely dice the spring onion then pop into a large mixing-bowl. 
• To the spring onion add the butcher’s best sausage meat, salt & pepper, parsley, and two types of mustard. Blend together well.   
• Now, divide the sausage meat into 14 to 16 equal pieces – see how far you can stretch the mixture. Then flatten each piece into a patty-like shape ready to enwreathe the eggs!   
• Darlings, the time has arrived to gently peel-off the egg shells – steady hands please! 
• Once successfully executed, one must prepare the ‘assembly line’! – Toot sweet! So, darlings, in a line on your counter: first place the eggs, then the plate of sausage patties, a plate of flour, a small vessel of whisked egg, followed by the bowl of breadcrumbs – Voila! 
• Now here comes the gooey and rather excitable stage of the process! Ok – roll an egg in flour, then wrap in a sausage patty, roll again in flour, into the whisked egg, followed by a jolly good coating of breadcrumbs. Place on ungreased baking tray. 
• Repeat process 14 to 16 times! 
• Place on the middle shelf of oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn once halfway through cooking. 
• These little meaty balls of deliciousness will appear slightly sun-kissed when cooked! 
• Serve hot or cold with a dollop or two of Piccalilli. 
• Enjoy with oodles of gusto! 

The post Mrs Beeton’s Mini Scotch Eggs – Picnic Food! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Happy British Pie Week!

By Jove! Miss Windsor has certainly surpassed herself today! You see, in the spirit of British Pie Week, and my passionate quest in “Bringing food history alive”, I recreated Mrs Beeton’s Veal & Ham Pie.

You see, whilst searching for something frightfully unusual, yet awfully hearty and traditional which one could recreate for British Pie Week, thankfully, Miss Windsor stumbled upon Mrs Beeton’s Veal & Ham Pie recipe – in her 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management – first published in 1861. 

Darlings, now you’re forbidden to turn your nose up to this glorious dish, which I must admit, is of an acquired taste; yet delightfully delicious (believe me, I was extremely surprised by how mouth-watering tasty this recipe turned out to be!) British, suet crust, meat-based pie created with an unusual concoction of ingredients such as sliced veal fillet or cushion, chunky bacon bits, hard-boiled eggs, a sprinkling of seasoning, followed by a “gill” (translation: 140ml or 5 US fl oz.) of beef stock – and nout more!

That’s right, darlings, you’ve read it correctly – boiled eggs, three in fact! Even Miss Windsor suffered a moment of doubt when she spied this rather interesting addition – a Victorian delicacy, I wonder? To to be honest, at first glance of this recipe, one presumed it could’ve been served during some kind of medieval banquet – curious to find out? Miss Windsor certainly is!
 
Okey dokey, I’ve just consulted one of my modern mentors: the jolly old internet, therefore, I discovered that we’ve been gorging on pies since the medieval times and maybe a trifle before then. Apparently, during the late 14th century a cookbook which included many recipes for all kinds of pies was written for the chefs of King Richard II. 

In fact, during such times a pie was commonly known as a “coffyn” or “coffin”, which means container. This was actually a stiff paste created with flour and water that would act as a robust vessel for baked sweet and savoury fillings. Apparently, in Elizabethan England, one would revel, “If it’s good, tis better in a coffyn.”

And rather interestingly, the Victorians were still making a similar kind of paste, which the cook of the house whipped together with ingredients such as flour, water, plus the addition of butter, egg, lard, or dripping. 

Also, during the Victorian era suet crust for meat and sweet pies was terribly popular and so easy to make – just flour, suet, cold water, baking powder, and/or sugar! I say, when Miss Windsor was a nipper Grandmother Josie advised that one must bring the pastry together with the blade of a knife, including the likes of suet pastry!

Therefore, I vividly recall Grandmother Josie reciting one of her mother’s culinary maxims, Great Grandmother Gertie’s to be precise, “Stir with a knife, stir up strife!” 

​​Darlings, I like to think it’s an old wive’s tale, but admittedly one is very superstitious, so if I ever find myself armed with a knife immersed in a bowl of pastry dough, I naturally mutter that rather ghastly phrase, which of course, as a matter of caution, I do so with all my fingers crossed, including my teeny toes!

Moving swiftly on, now according to the food history records, during the medieval times, one would feast on pies made with a hot water crust. You see, back in those days of beyond pies were an elaborate and exceedingly grand centrepiece of the banqueting table – How fabulous!

​They were baked in decorative moulds, often glazed, and on occasion would boast a stuffed animal or bird which would, of course, suggest the filling of the pie.

Just one more thing; whilst I scoured through the jolly old internet for snippets of information about veal and ham pie, I learned that many recipes require a hot water crust, and some recipes call for whole hard-boiled eggs, not slices. Therefore, suffice to say, I do believe some kind of version of veal and ham pie would’ve perched most comfortably on a medieval banqueting table.  

​​Darlings, now before you dash off to your kitchen to recreate this scrumptious slice of food history, I must say, if you’re a tad put off by the addition of hard-boiled eggs, then may I suggest slices of parboiled potatoes instead.  

Cheerio for now, 

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR – EXCEPT FOR 1940’S FAMILY PHOTO!

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Mrs Beeton’s Veal & Ham Pie

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 6 hungry guests!

Author Miss Windsor

Equipment

• medium pie dish
• rolling pin

Ingredients

Suet Pastry

• 350 g (2 & 1/3 cups) self-raising flour
• 180 g (1 & 3/4 cups) vegetable or beef suet
• pinch of salt
• a sprinkling of coarse black pepper
• cold water
• whisked egg for the glaze

Pie Filling

• 680 g approx. (1.5 lbs US) lean veal (fillet or cushion) cut into neat slices by your butcher!
• 220 g (1 heaped cup) cooked bacon bits – diced
• 3 hard-boiled eggs or parboiled potatoes – thinly sliced
• 1 heaped teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
• 1 heaped tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
• 140 ml (5 US fl oz.) beef stock
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Suet Pastry

• Pre-heat oven to 180*C / 160*C Fan / 355* F / gas mark 4.
• First off, let’s get cracking with the suet pastry! Into a large mixing bowl sieve the flour, then add the suet, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
• Add a few drops of cold water at a time and with a curving motion mix with a knife.
• Darlings, this pastry must not be dry, so add enough water and continue to mix with a knife until the dough is quite sticky.
• Now using you’re pretty little mitts, bring the dough together until it’s rather smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for a while.

The Filling

• Into your pie dish of choice, arrange a layer of veal and season with salt and pepper. Then add a layer of sliced boiled egg (or potatoes) and some cooked bacon bits. Season with mixed herbs and chopped parsley.
• Repeat step one until you have finished the ingredients.
• Pour over the stock and set to one side – How spiffing!
• Darlings take 3/4 of your dough and place onto a floured surface and start gently rolling until you’ve formed a circle or square shape to cover your choice of vessel. Oh, and please make sure that your pastry lid is rolled fairly thick – Ta very muchly!
• Cover the pie filling with the pastry and carefully trim off the edges.
• Now onto the creative bit – How exciting! Using the last of your dough festoon your pie with some decorative leaves and stick them onto the lid with some whisked egg.
• Darlings, you will probably have some left-over pastry, which one may use if needs must, or alternatively why not make one or two jam puffs out of the leftovers!
• Once festooned with pretty leaves, brush the whole pie lid with whisked egg.
• Pop in the oven and bake for exactly 1 and 1/4 hours.
• Serve piping hot with a dash of gravy and some seasonal vegetables – voila!

The post Mrs Beeton’s Veal & Ham Pie! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings! 
 
Happy British Pie Week! 
 
I say, my dear fellows, in the spirit of British Pie Week Miss Windsor’s been having an absolute blast reviving age-old recipes from the past! So, just in the nick of time before this wonderful week comes to an end, one wished to “Spitfire” back to the British wartime days and recreate something frightfully healthful and wholesome – a dish Grandmother Josie would’ve certainly approved of! 
 
May I present the rather delectable and exceedingly homely Miss Windsor’s Wartime Meatless Farmhouse Pie – How splendid! You see, I stumbled upon two terribly toothsome and similar pie recipes in my copy of Recipes of the 1940’s by Irene Veal. Therefore, my version is a fusion of both, just minus the meat! And evidently, darlings, you’ll soon discover that the operative word for British Pie Week in the Miss Windsor household is VEAL! ​

You’ll be pleased to know, that this easy, yet frightfully filling recipe is created with an abundance of vegetables such as carrots (which were plentiful during WWII), potatoes, swede, onion, seasoning, mixed dried herbs, little vegetable stock, and the piece de resistance – the wartime luxury of tinned peas!

Oh, and thank the dear Lord (Woolton!) that I had a little suet plus enough flour in my green and cream enamel flour tin to make some dough – so I covered this delightful concoction with a thick, feathery, rather mouth-watering blanket of suet pastry.  ​

A quick word about the courageous carrot! I’m proud to say that during WWII carrots played an important role in feeding the nation. The UK Ministry of Food encouraged the good folks of Britain to substitute rationed goods for carrots instead, therefore, the Agricultural Ministry increased the commercial production of this life-saving culinary asset.

Thankfully, particularly orange carrots, they’re bursting with vital nutrients such as “vitamin A”, and so are known to be “good for one’s eyesight” – bloomin’ marvellous! Also, do you have any idea how many dishes one can rustle up with our trusty carrot? Well, my dears, purely for your delectation, may I indulge you with the following:  Mrs Beeton’s Carrot Pudding, carrot soup, carrot jam, carrot cookies, carrot fudge, carrot cake, carrot tart, and so on!

Oh, and one of the recipes I based my fabulous version on originally required “very little meat”, any kind of meat, in fact, including Great Britain’s beloved bacon!

Unfortunately, Miss Windsor used every last scrap of meat from her rather sparse larder to recreate her first offering to British Pie Week – Mrs Beeton’s Veal & Ham Pie, which one discovered in one’s 1906 version of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, first published in 1861. ​

Darlings, I must divulge, in the Miss Windsor household we’ve regretfully used up all of our meat and egg rations for the entire week on that blasted pie, “Oh, dearie me!” I hear you squeal with oodles of concern! You see, as one will appreciate, Mrs Beeton’s mouth-watering recipe, evidently, is an exquisite Victorian dish of an acquired taste!

It called for plenty of veal, sliced hard-boiled eggs, seasoning, plus a dash of beef stock – and nothing more! I say, the pie dish was packed to the rafters with meat, and it took days to munch our way through this somewhat Victorian overindulgence! 

I must admit, I’ve been a trifle reckless with our precious rations, but nevertheless, Miss Windsor has certainly prevailed, and will not see anyone go hungry in wartime Britain! Thankfully, vegetables are not rationed here, so without further ado, I whipped up this delightful pie which is full to the brim with nutritious vegetables, plus the addition of a small tin of garden peas that I found lurking behind a rusty old tin of Bird’s Custard powder – How spiffing! 

​Plus I threw in a smattering of garlic that I saved from dear Winnie’s allotment, which I chopped and dried during the summer months in readiness for a glorious pie moment like this!

Darlings I’m feeling awfully parched now! So, before I pop off to warm up my darling Brown Betty teapot for a well-deserved cuppa, to be, of course, supped from my sage green Wood’s Ware Beryl cup and saucer. I must say in the Miss Windsor household, not a thing is wasted, therefore, Grandmother Josie often trumpeted, “Waste not, want not!”

Of course, she was absolutely correct, as I have very fond memories of my darling grandmother saving anything from a few grains of cooked rice, half a small boiled potato, to a handful of cheese crumbs that one would store in a Tupperware container and used to whip-up the suppertime classic of Welsh rarebit – I dare say, you never know when that morsel of food may come in handy!

​So, come along darlings, join the jolly old war effort and Eat for Victory! ​

Miss Windsor x

​If you fancy recreating another wartime recipe, then why not try:

MISS WINDSOR’S BEETROOT & GREEN BEAN FRITTERS! 

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Miss Windsor’s Wartime Meatless Farmhouse Pie!

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 hungry guests!

Author Miss Windsor

Equipment

• medium pie dish
• rolling pin

Ingredients

Suet Pastry

• 350 g (2 & 1/3 cups) self-raising flour
• 180 g (1 & 3/4 cups) vegetable or beef suet
• pinch of salt
• a sprinkling of coarse black pepper
• cold water
• whisked egg for the glaze

Pie Filling

• 4 medium potatoes
• 4 large carrots
• 1 medium onion
• ½ large swede
• 1 small tin of garden peas
• a handful of fresh chopped parsley
• 4 heaped teaspoons of mixed dried herbs
• some fresh thyme
• little vegetable stock
• salt and pepper
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves (or the equivalent of dried chopped garlic)
• smattering of flour

Instructions

Suet Pastry

• Pre-heat oven to 190*C / 170*C Fan / 375* F / gas mark 5.
• First off, let’s get cracking with the suet pastry! Into a large mixing bowl sieve the flour, then add the suet, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
• Add a few drops of cold water at a time and with a curving motion mix with a knife.
• Darlings, this pastry must not be dry, so add enough water and continue to mix with a knife until the dough is quite sticky.
• Now using you’re pretty little mitts, bring the dough together until it’s rather smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for a while.

The Filling

• Chop the potatoes into chunky pieces and swede into small cubes. Parboil in vegetable stock, and when done set to one side and keep the vegetable stock.
• Cut the carrots into small cubes, then dice the onion and garlic. Transfer to a large frying pan and add the peas. Season lightly with salt and pepper and fry until browned in a drop or two of oil.
• Add the fresh parsley and thyme, then scatter over the dried mixed herbs and give it a jolly good stir.
• Transfer the parboiled potatoes and swede to the frying pan, add a smattering of flour and thoroughly mix together.
• Darlings, now pour in enough stock to wet the ingredients and fry everything together for a few minutes until well-mixed.
• Next, grab your pie dish and carefully spoon in the vegetable mixture.
• Now, take 3/4 of your dough and place onto a floured surface and start gently rolling until you’ve formed a circle or square shape to cover your choice of vessel. Oh, and please make sure that your pastry lid is rolled fairly thick – Ta very muchly!
• Cover the pie filling with the pastry and carefully trim off the edges.
• Now onto the creative bit – How exciting! Using the last of your dough festoon your pie with some decorative leaves and stick them onto the lid with some whisked egg.
• Darlings, you will probably have some left-over pastry, which one may use if needs must, or alternatively why not make one or two jam puffs out of the leftovers!
• Once festooned with pretty leaves, brush the whole pie lid with whisked egg.
• Pop in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and risen.
• Serve piping hot with a dash of gravy – that’s if you have a bit leftover from your Sunday roast dinner, if not then ‘hard cheese’!

The post Miss Windsor’s Wartime Meatless Farmhouse Pie! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

​Moving swiftly on, whilst scouring through my glorious 1906 edition, there I discovered Mrs Beeton’s ONE and ONLY recipe to be of her very own creation – Benevolent Soup, which was originally known as Useful Soup for Benevolent Purposes. 

​Darlings, now rumour has it, she nobbled a fair few recipes from other famous cooks, such as Eliza Acton, who in 1845 published Modern Cookery for Private Families – slapped wrist, Mrs Beeton! She also included recipes in Beeton’s Book of Household Management that were created by readers of her monthly column, thus these recipes were first showcased in her husbands (Mr Samuel Orchart Beeton) publication – The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine.

Righty oh, let’s return our focus to Mrs Beeton’s Useful Soup for Benevolent Purposes. You see, during the month of February it’s usually rather chilly here in England, yet for some bizarre reason temperatures have reached around 18*C or so.

Anyway, the history books dictate that in 1858 England endured a terribly harsh and deathly cold winter. So much so, our charitable, selfless, and kindly Mrs Beeton set up a soup kitchen from her home and served this hearty, meat-based (ox-cheek) chunky vegetable, and liquor-laced concoction – in Miss Windsor’s case Thatchers cider! to the hungry, homeless, or destitute folk of Hatch End, Pinner, London.  Therefore, and quite rightly so, Mrs Beeton’s ONLY recipe was published in her very first book!

May I add, my revision of this wintery dish is a fabulous fusion between Mrs Beeton’s original 1858 recipe and the 1906 version as mentioned above – of course, I followed her instructions and cooking methods thoroughly, thus achieved excellence. 

Darlings, rather interestingly, my observations of Mrs Beeton’s original 1858 recipe is that some of the ingredient measurements differ quite considerably in comparison to my 1906 version such as a whole ox-cheek as opposed to 1/2 an ox-cheek; 1/2 lb. of carrots instead of 2 carrots; and 1/2 lb. of turnips rather than 2 large turnips – plus there’s a few extra ingredients that are not included in my 1906 version.
​
USEFUL SOUP FOR BENEVOLENT PURPOSES – 1858 Recipe! 
INGREDIENTS. – An ox-cheek, any pieces of trimmings of beef, which may be bought very cheaply (say 4 lbs.), a few bones, any pot-liquor the larder may furnish, ¼ peck of onions, 6 leeks, a large bunch of herbs,½ lb. of celery (the outside pieces, or green tops, do very well); ½ lb. of carrots, ½   lb. of turnips,½ lb. of coarse brown sugar, ½ a pint of beer, 4 lbs. of common rice, or pearl barley; ½ lb. of salt, 1 oz. of black pepper, a few raspings, 10 gallons of water.

I say, why not have a “goosey gander” yourself, then you’ll see that the original age-old recipe also called for 1/2 pint of beer, whereas the 1906 version noted only water! Oh, and if you’re wondering what the heck a 1/4 “peck” of onions actually is, please do not despair as Miss Windsor endeavours to ease your curiosity.

​Well, darlings, it’s a very early measurement which was originally introduced to measure flour during the 14th century, and so in this day and age a 1/4 of a peck is roughly equal to just over 2 kilos, “Cor blimey!” I hear you trumpet with immense surprise!

Have you ever heard of the culinary requirement of “raspings” before? Well, Miss Windsor certainly hasn’t! so on that note one consulted the jolly old internet and discovered that it means browned breadcrumbs. To be honest, darlings, I beg to differ, as the 1858 recipe calls for a “few” raspings, which clearly indicates that raspings are much larger than breadcrumbs, therefore, I do wonder what the Dickens Mrs Beeton was referring to? Please do enlighten Miss Windsor if you’re privy to such culinary knowledge – ta very muchly!

And just one more thing before you scarper into your kitchen, although I scaled down some of the ingredient measurements, Mrs Beeton’s Useful Soup for Benevolent Purposes is ample to serve a large family with leftovers, which one may decanter into a Tupperware dish and pop into the freezer for a rainy or in this case a rather inclement day!

For dessert, why not try my great great grandmother’s traditional British recipe created with suet:

GRANDMA GEORGINA’S COLD WINTER PUDDING! 

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR 

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Mrs Beeton’s Cold Winter Soup

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Servings 6 Serves a large family!

Equipment

• A very large stew pan with lid

Ingredients

• 2 ox cheeks (request from your butcher)
• 6 large carrots
• 1 very large swede
• 4 stalks of celery
• 2 huge onions
• 500 ml (17 US fl oz) of any Somerset cider, but I prefer to use Thatchers.
• 3 litres (102 US fl oz) of water
• 360 g (2 cups) red split lentils
• ½ white cabbage
• Large bunch of fresh herbs – rosemary, coriander, flat leaf parsley, thyme, bay leaf.
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 3 vegetable stock cubes

Instructions

• Before you start, please lather up your mitts with a jolly good helping of Pears soap!
• Now you’re squeaky clean, one may prepare the meat by cutting it into cubes. Then chop up the vegetables any way you fancy and set the white cabbage to one side.
• Transfer the meat to your stew pan, sprinkle with sea salt, pour in the water, and cover with lid.
• Bring to the boil and skim off the frothy stuff. Reduce the heat to a simmer then crumble the stock cubes into the meaty liquid, add the cider, vegetables, bunch of herbs, and salt and pepper – give it a jolly good stir!
• Return the lid and simmer gently for approximately 2 hours.
• Now, carefully spoon in the lentils and white cabbage. Simmer for 1 hour.
• Once cooked, add salt and pepper to taste.
• Then serve to your guests from a decorative soup terrine – don’t forget your soup bowls and spoons!
• Enjoy with a scrumptious glass of Somerset cider – How spiffing!

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Hello, darlings!

Happy Yorkshire Pudding Day! (3rd Feb 2019)
 
In the spirit of this most wonderful day, I wished to recreate a family sized Yorkshire pudding; not the individual type that we’re all so familiar with – How spiffing!
 
Therefore, I just so happened to find the ideal recipe in my 1903 edition of Mrs Beeton’s One Shilling Cookery Book, which originally belonged to my great great grandmother Georgina.

Oh, and by the way, Mrs Beeton’s recipe makes two puds, so you may scoff one with your Sunday dinner of roast beef and gravy, and freeze the other for a rainy day!

I say, now I expect you’re “chomping at the bit” to whip-up an old-fashioned, fluffy, Yorkshire pudding – Mrs Beeton style, of course! If so, I must warn you my dears – it’s at your peril! You see, although one may follow the same recipe over and over again, the results may vary each time – very annoying, indeed! If this happens, don’t blame me, like I said it’s at your peril!

​Now, I tell thee, Miss Windsor has tried her very best to perfect Mrs Beeton’s Yorkshire Pudding. Thankfully most of her attempts have turned out a culinary triumph, and others have been a sight for sore eyes, flat as a pancake comes to mind – Oh, dearie me!

Apparently, Yorkshire puddings are very temperamental – you dare say! And so, I discovered they thrive in the hottest oven possible: the beef dripping (or lard) must be roaring hot. Also, it’s imperative that the batter is room temperature, and one must only bake in a metal vessel.

Darlings, as you may know, it’s an exact science, yet Mrs Beeton recommends six tablespoons of flour, which is not really an exact measurement! – so get one thing wrong and you may be heading for a culinary catastrophe!

​To be frank, I’ve never been too fond of Yorkshire pudding, because quite simply my dears I found them rather ghastly, although funnily enough, I adore anything pancake-like and doughy.

However, one must express tremendous thanks to my darling culinary amour – Mrs Simkins – who just recently, and unbeknownst to her darling self, has managed to sway Miss Windsor’s delectable palate to give the jolly old Sunday roast garnish, another bash! In fact, back in the day, Yorkshire pudding was cooked under the meat, which was mainly mutton have you note, which was due to Yorkshire’s abundance of sheep – very similar to Wales!

​You see, the frightfully talented Mrs Simkins published a splendid book called Traditional Yorkshire Cooking, and so plonked within the glossy pages of her new culinary delight, there I discovered her recipe for Mum’s Yorkshire Pudding! Oh, and I must say, Mrs Simkins’s photo makes those bundles of batter appear utterly irresistible! Therefore, one said to oneself, “If Mrs Simkins adores them, then so will I!”
 
And I must say, following my first attempt of Mrs Beeton’s recipe, it was obvious that she failed to mention two vital instructions. Now do not fret my dears, thank goodness for the aid of Mrs Simkins new book, as it was plain to the eye that Yorkshire pudding requires the hottest oven possible. Also, the beef dripping must be scorching hot before the batter descends into the metal baking vessel. Thank goodness, these instructions clearly explain why my very first Yorkshire pud emerged from the oven looking rather like a bobbly soggy quiche – yikes!

​Now I must divulge since I was a child I found it difficult to fathom why one would indulge in these rather odd looking baked mini “frisbees” – and heaven knows where the Yorkshire and the pudding come into it? Well, to solve such a mystery I consulted the jolly old internet for some much-needed counsel, and quite shockingly, I was informed that the exact origins of the Yorkshire pudding are unknown – disappointed? so am I!

However, darlings, the first ever recorded Yorkshire pudding was in 1737, known back then as A Dripping Pudding, published in an intriguing cookery booked called The Whole Duty of a Woman – How fascinating!

​Nowadays, as you know, Yorkshire pudding is baked in the oven and is served as an accompaniment to roast beef and gravy. However, I wish to share a titbit of information which I stumbled upon in my 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management:

“Yorkshire pudding is always cooked in front of the fire; when baked in the oven, the term “batter pudding” is applied to it by the people of the county whence it derives its name“.

Now, if we roll back to the olden days, one would eat this world-famous batter dish on its own as a first course with gravy, thus filling one’s tummy in order to eat less of the expensive meat course. Yet sadly, for the main meal, poorer households would only eat Yorkshire pudding moistened with a sauce or gravy.

​Darlings, if you wish to take the plunge and recreate Mrs Beeton’s Yorkshire Pudding recipe, then please bear in mind Mrs Simkins most welcome counsel, “Never, ever, even think of opening the door of the oven whilst the pudding is cooking” – wise words, Mrs Simkins!

A little tip before you dash off to your kitchen, to add a touch of flair, why not sprinkle some sultanas over the batter before your pud enters the oven.

For dessert, may I recommend a frightfully British suet pudding, which I must say is a touch spicy, subtly sweet, and exceedingly wholesome!

​My great great GRANDMA GEORGINA’S COLD WINTER PUDDING! ​​​

Good luck, darlings – you’re gonna need it!

Miss Windsor x

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Mrs Beeton’s Old-Fashioned ​Yorkshire Pudding Recipe!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 6 rather ravenous guests!

Equipment

• 2 x round metal baking tins – 20cm / 8 inch

Ingredients

• 900 ml (30 US fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
• 6 large tablespoons of plain/all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs – lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• handful of sultanas – optional

Instructions

• Darlings, clean hands at the ready – Ta very muchly!
• Pre-heat oven to 240*C / 220*C Fan / 465*F / gas mark 9.
• Sieve flour and salt into a mixing bowl, then stir with a fork and add enough milk to form a stiff smooth batter.
• Pour in the remainder of the milk and the lightly beaten eggs.

  Tip: the eggs only need to be beaten for a few seconds as they will act as a raising agent.
• Using a whisk, beat the mixture for a few minutes. Cover and set to one side.

  ​Tip: allow your batter to sit for 30 minutes minimum, or up to 1 hour if you have time. The batter needs to be room temperature as it will help your pudding to rise immediately in the oven.
• When your batter has rested for long enough put 2 teaspoons of beef dripping or lard into each tin. Place on a high shelf in the oven but bear in mind you must give enough space for the puddings to rise.
• Once the dripping or lard is smoking hot remove from oven and immediately pour in the batter. Return to the oven as quickly as possible – there’s a good darling!
• Bake for approximately 45 mins to 1 hour until well-risen and golden brown.
• Serve to your guests as a delicious starter or serve as a main course with roast beef and gravy – How scrumptious!

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Hello, darlings!

Okey dokey – let’s crack on and make some pumpkin puree from scratch! Perfect for pumpkin pie or as a tasty, seasonal, healthful alternative to our beloved starch ladened mashed potato.

​I say, if you’re keen on recreating the latter, then Miss Windsor recommends to “jazz” it up a smitch with a dollop of butter, followed by a sprinkling of sea salt and cracked black pepper – How spiffing! 

Be warned: I’m a lady of very little patience, and will not tolerate cheating or bone idleness! Therefore, what a sheer disappointment it would turn out to be if you’d succumbed to the convenience of “readymade” pumpkin puree from a can – darlings, take heed! ​

​But as you’re here, you’re permitted to breathe a sigh of relief, as presumably, you wish to make pumpkin puree the old-fashioned way – especially if you plan on whipping up one of those good old American classics of pumpkin pie.

Darlings, I must say, before you toddle off to your kitchen, according to Fannie Merritt Farmer’s recipe for pumpkin pie which I discovered in my 1909 edition of The Boston-School Cook Book, our dearest Fannie recommends using steamed and strained pumpkin. However, and for no particular reason at all, I prefer to use baked pumpkin instead.

Please click here for:

FANNIE MERRITT FARMER’S OLD-FASHIONED AMERICAN PUMPKIN PIE!

Enjoy!

Miss Windsor x

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Miss Windsor’s Pumpkin Puree ​(for Pumpkin Pie & Savoury Dishes)

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Equipment

• Large baking tray / pan

Ingredients

• one medium pumpkin (of the edible kind!)
• olive oil

Instructions

• First off, please thoroughly wash your grubby little ‘paws’ – much obliged!
• Preheat your oven to 190*C / 170*C Fan / 375*F / gas mark 5.
• With a sharp knife carefully cut the pumpkin in half and remove the stem.
• Then with a large spoon and a firm grip, scrape out the insides and seeds. Make sure you do a good job now and remove every last seed!
• Line your baking tray with foil, and gently lay down the pumpkin halves. Then merrily rub olive oil over both halves.
• Place on the middle shelf of your oven and bake for 1 hour – until fork tender.
• When your pumpkin halves are ready, carefully remove the tray from the oven.
• Now, carefully scrape out the succulent flesh from the skins. Darlings, if you find the flesh a tad bit watery, just drain off the excess.
• Using a potato masher and some ‘elbow grease’ commence mashing! Mash until it resembles a puree like consistency. Use a sieve to drain off any excess water.
• Congratulations you’ve successfully made Miss Windsor's Pumpkin Puree from scratch!

The post Miss Windsor’s Pumpkin Puree (for Pumpkin Pie) appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!

I say, troops! – stand to attention, grab your spade, grow your own fruit and vegetables, Dig for Victory, and Eat for Victory – By Jove! chaps, now that’s the wartime spirit.

Miss Windsor’s back again with yet another seasonal, allotment inspired, palate-pleasing culinary treat, based on a rather spiffing wartime recipe from my Eating for Victory cookery book.

So please give a warm welcome to something a trifle different, frightfully British, and exceedingly healthful – Miss Windsor’s Beetroot & Green Bean Fritters!

You see, my recipe is a fabulous fusion of 1940s wartime cuisine, my dear Winnie’s allotment grown beetroot and French beans (of course, one may use shop-bought) and today’s commonly known ingredient of gluten-free flour – anything to satisfy the health-conscious community.

​In fact, to achieve such culinary excellence I dabbled with both wheat flour and the gluten-free type, yet extraordinarily the latter produced a far tastier dish; thus created a rather pleasant gritty texture.

​Darlings, my beloved grandmother Josie once told me that during World War II the British public was far healthier than in this day and age, “Would you Adam and Eve it!” I hear you shriek with a slight tone of dismay! 

This was due to many factors, as near the end of the First World War the government finally took heed of the food issues that arose during such time, therefore, scientific research was carried out into all areas of food and nutrition.

Also, during the great depression in the 1920s unemployment had soared to more than two million, plus a staggering number of people were near destitute and sadly couldn’t afford to buy nutritious foods such as milk, fruit, and vegetables. And quite shockingly, around forty million folks suffered from some kind of deficiency, most commonly calcium, which thankfully prompted the government to provide milk in schools.  

Of course, one wasn’t too shocked to learn that a study conducted by the British Medical Association in the 1930s, revealed that the more affluent areas of society during that period benefited from an abundance of basic dietary constituents.

As you know war broke out again in 1939, “Miss Windsor, but what the heck did the government do to ensure every member of society was well fed and watered?” you pipe up from across the airwaves!

Well, my dears, firstly let’s pay homage to Sir Jack Drummond – nutritional biochemist and scientific adviser to the Ministry of Food, who chummed up with Lord Woolton – who also happened to be the wartime Minister of Food (glorious food!).  

You see, their shared passion to improve the nation’s diet and to eradicate malnutrition, eventually led to a national food policy. Thus, measures were put in place to feed the British public back to good health.

PHOTO CREDIT – ​CLICK HERE ​

And without going into every last detail, in the year of 1940, every man, woman, and the child was issued with a ration book for butter, bacon, and sugar. Soon followed by meat, preserves, tea, margarine, cooking fats, milk, and so on – so whether you were rich or poor, all members of society received adequate nutrition to survive the war. 

You’ll be pleased to hear that the Advice Division of the Ministry of Food provided excellent counsel to the British public throughout the war, which included the healthiest ways to remain fighting fit and how to best use their food rations. In fact, one thing we’re all familiar with is the government’s Dig for Victory campaign – such an ingenious idea, don’t ya think! 

So, whether you were a city dweller or a country bumpkin everyone was encouraged to grab a spade and dig up their flower beds, window boxes, backyards, tennis courts, you name it and dig their way to victory and good health with homegrown fruit and vegetables. 

Moving swiftly on, if you’re following my wartime culinary journey then you would’ve read about my visit to Whimsical Winnie’s allotment at Fulham Palace Meadows, London. If so, then one presumes you’ve learnt a fact or two about the meadows fascinating “green-fingered” connection with the war effort – if not, then slap on the wrist!

Therefore, before one proceeds any further please do pop over and meet my dear friend Winnie – The Queen of Fulham Palace Meadows, and I’ll see you back here in a jiffy.

Here’s the LINK:
WHIMSICAL WINNIE THE QUEEN OF FULHAM PALACE MEADOWS ALLOTMENTS!

Welcome back darlings! Unfortunately, it has come to Miss Windsor’s attention that many of you succumbed to the common ailment of “idle eyes”, so just this once one will indulge you with a few titbits about one’s recipe and the meadows.

​You see, many months before Miss Windsor toddled off to Winnie’s allotment, one was bestowed a delightful cookery book from the good lady of Fortune PR (www.fortunepr.co.uk) called Eating for Victory (Healthy Home Front Cooking on War Rations) – aren’t I a lucky girl! 

Then following my visit to Winnie’s precious allotment, I was delighted to learn that in 1916 there was a generous old chap known as Bishop Winnington-Ingram who granted the land or meadows to the good folk of Fulham, London, as part of an early WWI Dig for Victory campaign.

​I say, this news excited me greatly as it fits in perfectly with my theme of food history; in particular wartime recipes.  

PHOTO CREDIT – CLICK HERE

Darlings, Miss Windsor is feeling awfully parched now, so must pop off for a well-deserved cup of tea!

But before I go, may I rouse your spirits with a few trill notes from the “Forces’ Sweetheart” Dame Vera Lynn, “We’ll meet again, don’t know where don’t know when. But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day!” I say, what a rather romantic and merry ending to our time together, but I’m sure “we’ll meet again some sunny day………!”

Darlings, a round of applause to the delightfully talented Cathy (Twitter: @CathysArtPalace) for her incredible illustration of Miss Windsor’s photo – as above. 

For dessert, may I suggest another wartime classic:

MISS WINDSOR’S BLACKBERRY & APPLE CRUMBLE (GLUTEN-FREE or VEGAN)

Miss Windsor x

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Miss Windsor’s Wartime Recipe: Gluten-Free Beetroot & Green Bean Fritters!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Servings 8 large fritters

Equipment

• 1 frying pan – large and deep

Ingredients

• 1 large cooked beetroot
• 50 g (1/2 cup) any green beans (such as French beans)
• 3 stems of spring onions
• 170 g (1 & 1/4 cups) plain gluten-free flour (or plain wheat flour)
• 3 heaped teaspoons – gluten-free baking powder
• 1 heaped teaspoon – sea salt
• 1 heaped teaspoon – cracked black pepper
• 1 heaped tablespoon – dried mixed herbs
• approx. 200ml (7 US fl oz) whole milk
• olive oil

Instructions

• Darlings, run along now and disinfect your mitts with a bar of that carbolic fragranced Lifebuoy soap – much obliged!
• Ok, now you’re nice and clean, you can cook your own beetroot which won’t take too long. Or, if time is the essence, then please do succumb to the modern-day convenience of vacuum-packed cooked beetroot! Either way, please grate with a cheese grater and set to one side.
• In a mixing bowl sieve together, the baking powder and flour. Add the salt and pepper and give it a good ol’ stir. Then with a wooden spoon mix to a stiff batter with milk and beat well.
• Roughly chop the green beans, then steam for a minute or so in your rather ghastly microwave and add to the grated beetroot.
• Finely chop the spring onion and combine with the beetroot / green bean mixture. Transfer to the batter and add the dried herbs. Mix well.
• Now, grab your frying pan and thickly coat with olive oil (avoid being too heavy-handed!) then turn the temperature to high. Once the oil starts to sizzle a little, turn the temperature down a tad – to around medium/high.
• Okey dokey, now fetch a large dessertspoon along with your rather striking, cerise pink batter.
• Then drop three or four equal-ish amounts into the hot oil.
• When golden brown on the underside, turn over.
• Once both sides are perfectly browned, transfer to a plate covered in paper towel to soak up any excess oil. Then repeat the cooking process until you’ve used up the batter.
• I say, now it’s time to serve your fabulous fritters to your delightful guests. Please do so with sliced beetroot, and any salad of your choice – voila!

The post Miss Windsor’s Wartime Beetroot & Green Bean Fritters! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!

You’ll be pleased to know, Miss Windsor’s Italian Inspired Cherry Tomato Pasta is just the tonic for the hungry-hearted – Mamma mia!

​My vegetarian recipe is splendidly quick and easy to recreate – using the very best of Whimsical Winnie’s harvest. Namely, her titillating good (Oh, I say!) allotment grown tomatoes from her plot at Fulham Palace Meadows (London). I say Winnie is such a dear heart for donating her little red balls of goodness to my “Eatalian” culinary cause. 

​Darlings, my delectable delight also boasts a plethora of ingredients: olive oil, garlic, onion, mushrooms, Moroccan dry black olives, basil, and an Italian “Brassica” known as cavolo nero cabbage – a quite simple, yet devilishly tasty dish!

To be wolfed down hot or cold along with your favourite pasta – I favour Garofalo Casarecce Pasta – a teeny weeny reminder of my trip to Naples. Or to be scoffed following a jolly good session at the gym, which will certainly boost one’s energy levels and quench one’s hunger pangs (How spiffing!).

And before I forget, I hereby present this delightful dish as my first offering to Mrs Simkins and Miss Windsor’s Italian themed collaboration.

​You see, we’ve just celebrated the last “hurrah” of our first culinary venture – we whipped up an assemblage of savoury and sweet teatime treats – I say, if you’re not yet fully acquainted with our recipes then please do take a peek and I’ll see you back here in a jiffy! 

Moving swiftly on: I must pay homage to my dear Italian friend – the exceedingly vivacious Viviana Ciccone, who offered Miss Windsor a helping hand in the realm of traditional Italian cookery.

​In fact, Viviana attributes her magical culinary skills to her darling mother Michelina. And luckily for Miss Windsor, Viviana taught her how to make an authentic Italian pasta sauce from scratch, which has certainly been put to good use. 

Darlings, before you trot off to your kitchen, please take note of this rather useful TIP: Miss Windsor recommends that you refrain from serving this frightfully delicious dish all at once. So, why not fill up a Tupperware vessel and pop it into the fridge for later – there’s a good darling!

Whatever your preference – a midday nibble or a midnight snack – Miss Windsor personally guarantees that her dish will satisfy all palates and leave you yearning for more (Oh, I say!).

Please enjoy with a splash of olive oil; a sprinkling of parmesan cheese; a smattering of cracked black pepper; and a rather decorative basil leaf – voila!

Fancy more Italian fayre? then why not recreate:

MISS WINDSOR’S SHERRY & SPICE TIRAMISU – WITH HARVEY’S BRISTOL CREAM!

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR EXCEPT FOR WINNIE & MICHELINA 

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Miss Windsor’s Italian Inspired ​Cherry Tomato Pasta!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 6 delightful guests

Equipment

• A large/deep frying pan

Ingredients

• 225ml (8 US fl oz.) of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 or 4 large cloves of garlic
• 1 large diced onion
• large handful of Moroccan dry black olives (add a few more if you desire)
• 500g (2 & 1/2 cups) cherry or any large tomatoes – chopped
• 120g (1 & 1/2 cups) sliced mushrooms
• 6 or 7 leaves of shredded cavolo nero cabbage (or savoy cabbage will do)
• 6 basil leaves
• 500g (approx. 4 1/2 to 5 cups) of any pasta such as penne.
• salt and pepper

For decoration

• basil leaves

Instructions

• Darlings, squeaky clean hands please – Ta very muchly!
• Okey dokey! Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan and set the hob to medium / high heat.
• Finely chop the garlic and roughly dice the onion, then add to the oil. Darlings, now turn down the heat to just below medium – so the oil gently simmers.
• Chop the cherry tomatoes in half (or chop large tomatoes into quarters) slice the mushrooms and prepare the Moroccan black olives by cutting in half and removing the pips. Transfer to the frying pan.
• Now, gently place 6 basil leaves on top of the ingredients – Much obliged!
• Darlings, for the next 20 to 25 minutes the ingredients will gently simmer and should start to thicken up a little.
• About half-way through cooking time, put a large saucepan of water onto boil – add a glug of olive oil and a dash of salt.
• Once the water begins to ‘gallop’: with a steady hand add the pasta and turn down the heat a tad.
• Darlings, by now the rich aroma of Italian cuisine will gleefully arouse your senses – Oh, I say! So, one mustn’t become too excited, or you may overcook the pasta!
• However, before you test the pasta take a small mug and fill with hot water from the pasta pan. Then pour this over the simmering ingredients – this will loosen the mixture and stop it from drying out.
• Add the shredded cavolo nero cabbage to your authentic Italian sauce and allow to steam a little. Then gently combine and simmer gently for a few minutes more.
• After 8 minutes or so, you may test the pasta! Darlings, the Italians, oh and Miss Windsor, prefer their pasta cooked ‘al dente’ which translates ‘to the tooth’. And to translate again, means ‘you need your teeth to chew the pasta’ – comprende?
• So, poke a fork into the water and emerge with a piece of pasta! If your gnashers sink in, yet not too easily – then it’s ready. If not, cook for a couple minutes more.
• Once perfectly al dente, remove from the heat and drain using a colander. Then immediately wash the pasta in hot water to remove the starch. Drain again.
• Pour the pasta back into the saucepan, add your authentic Italian sauce, some cracked black pepper, then thoroughly mix together.
• Darlings, serve in a pleasant looking vessel and enjoy with a splash of olive oil; a sprinkling of parmesan cheese; a smattering of cracked black pepper; and a decorative basil leaf- Voila!

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