ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Dec 26, 2017 1:35:39 GMT
Megan, Thank you for the beautiful word picture of a time and place where the world and life were much more peaceful.
Merry Christmas and a hope for another year of comfort and joy.
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Post by meganl on Jan 19, 2018 10:06:10 GMT
A few of the girls were talking about baking on a girdle the Irish is griddle it led to this
I got fair nagged at last night for another wee memory so here goes.
The other day we got to talking about girdles, NO not the pink rubber instrument of torture yer mammy or granny would squeeze into. The flat iron plate you cooked yer tattie scones on they often had a loop on the top of the handle so it could be hung from the swee to be swung over the fire.
It minded me on of the new bride and the midden pan. Coming to the island as a young bride was certainly something of a shock, I had been born and brought up in a terraced house in a Glasgow housing scheme. The house we moved into was a low lying cottage with thick drystone walls. It was typical of a lot of the older local cottages if you have ever been to Robert Burns cottage you will have an idea what it looked like. The buildings formed three sides of a courtyard with a honeysuckle drystone wall completing the square. There were two exits from the courtyard a driveway that was a tight squeeze for a wee lorry and in the corner by the byre a little gap between two buildings that led round to the back garden.
While most houses of this kind were either modernised or abandoned our landlord had electricity and running water put in and that was about it. The back garden was almost half an acre and we filled it with vegetables, soft fruits and of course the obligatory rhubarb plant.
It was one day while walking past the midden to get to the garden I spotted what looked like a handle popping out from among the ashes. I gave it a tug expecting it to be a bit of broken iron but to my surprise out came a cast iron frying pan larger than a dinner plate and rusty as you could believe.
I carefully carried my treasure back to the house fully expecting to be told to take it back where I found it. Instead my wonderful husband broke out his wire brush and sand paper and after a lot of elbow grease he took a brush and covered the pan with oil and put it inside the Doric ( a small burn anything range cooker water heater from the fifties) It stayed in all day and when it came out we had an as good as new skillet.
That pan cooked our breakfast, and the stew for dinner as well as seating of the vegetables for soup it became an essential part of our home until a week before we were due to move to the brand new association house in town. Sadly in all the rushing around it got knocked of the top of the stove and landed with a clatter on the flagstone floor shattering.
The cottage had two kitchens the one in the house with the Doric range, only the top was ever used because the oven was so rusty that anything put in it would come out covered in soot that escaped through the small holes in the rust. That was until the day the door exploded of the oven landing just a few inches from me as I came in the door, the gas had built up and ignited when I had the fire a bit higher than normal.
The other kitchen was in a small room in the entrance porch it housed the old gas cooker we had bought for £30 it ran on LPG and had an oven that was useable but baking was pretty hit and miss since the thermometer on the door had seen better days.
Most of our furniture and things in the house were at least second had some had past through more than a few members of the family before reaching us but one of our own purchases was another second had item an old service twin tub washing machine. Between iron pots and washing it is no wonder our mammies and grannies were strong women.
On good summer days the twin tub would be dragged out into the courtyard and I would happily do load after load of washing lifting them from the tub into the spin dryer thankful that I did not have to work once more with an old Acme wringer, before transferring them to the wash line tied between two buildings to dry. They were hard days money was often scarce but we worked together to get things done and it taught us lessons that would serve us well throughout our married life.
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Post by meganl on Jan 20, 2018 8:49:45 GMT
Those lassies are keeping me busy we got to talking about food banks it set of this wee memory.
week of Hen
When my husband was between jobs food had to be stretched to its utmost, These are some of the recipes I used and a few newer ones that would work . Never made them for hubby since he wis awfy fussy.
On Saturday when we went shopping we bought the biggest hen we could afford, sometimes if they were on offer it might be cheaper to buy two smaller birds.
On Sunday
the bird would be roasted and one breast would be removed (if it was the big bird otherwise both breasts from one hen) This would be served with plenty of vegetables from the garden, home made oatmeal stuffing and puckle o roast tatties for a bit o crunch.
Ingredients
1 Onion roughly chopped 2 Carrots roughly chopped 1 Large Hen 1 Lemon halved Small bunch of thyme (optional) For the gravy 1 tbsp plain flour 250ml chicken stock (a cube is fine)
Method
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Have a shelf ready in the middle of the oven without any shelves above it. Scatter the vegetables over the base of a roasting tin that fits the chicken, but doesn’t swamp it.
Season the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, then stuff with the lemon halves and thyme, if using. Sit the chicken on the vegetables, smother the breast and legs all over with the butter, then season the outside with salt and pepper.
Place in the oven and leave, undisturbed, for 1 hr 20 mins – this will give you a perfectly roasted chicken. To check, pierce the thigh with a skewer and the juices should run clear. Remove the tin from the oven and, using a pair of tongs, lift the chicken to a dish or board to rest for 15-20 mins. As you lift the dish, let any juices from the chicken pour out of the cavity into the roasting tin.
While the chicken is resting, make the gravy. Place the roasting tin over a low flame, then stir in the flour and sizzle until you have a light brown, sandy paste. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring all the time, until you have a thickened sauce. Simmer for 2 mins, using a wooden spoon to stir, scraping any sticky bits from the tin. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan, then simmer and season to taste. When you carve the bird, add any extra juices to the gravy.
Oatmeal stuffing
weigh oatmeal, add slightly more than 1/2 weight of suet (for instance 8 oz oatmeal, 5 suet) add salt and pepper and finely chopped onion. Mix all together. I cook in a dish in the oven rather than stuffing the poultry but either is possible. Cook until it is ready
I sometimes added some porridge oats to make a stuffing that clung together When the meat was cold it was stripped of the carcass into three groups: whole bits - breast and legs(drumstick and thigh) big bits - larger pieces usually in places difficult to reach smile emoticon:) peedie bruck(small rubbish) - the wee bits from between bones and the like, all those tiny scraps that get forgotten about when money is plenty.
The carcass would be broken up and thrown in a pot with some vegetables and herbs to make stock.
Monday
the other breast was cut up and heated thoroughly in some home made Korma sauce. The sauce served 4 so I would put some in a container and freeze for future use. It would be served with wholegrain rice and batons of root veg, sometimes I would make small naan breads to go with it
Korma sauce
Ingredients
2 brown onions, finely chopped 5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 2.5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated 3 tbsp olive oil 4 cardamom pods, crushed 1 tbsp ground coriander 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp garam masala powder 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tbsp honey 1 x 400ml tinned coconut milk 3 tbsp ground almonds Freshly ground black pepper Pinch saffron strands, there were times we couldn’t afford them it still tasted good) Optional small handful coriander leaves, to serve
This rich korma sauce is packed full of flavour and is made without any dairy. This flavourful alternative is made with coconut milk and raw almonds giving this curry the same creamy texture.
Put the onions, garlic, chilli and ginger in a large heavy-based saucepan with the olive oil and place over a low-medium heat. Sweat out the onions for 15-20 minutes until translucent and tender, being careful not to burn.
Add in the crushed cardamom seeds, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam massala and salt. Stir into the onion mixture and fry for a few minutes until aromatic.
Add in the honey and then the coconut milk, ground almonds and 120ml of water. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to stop the base from catching.
Turn off the heat and leave to cool a little, then using a stick blender or liquidiser, blitz the korma until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt and pepper if needed. Place back in the pot and add in whatever cooked ingredient you want to serve with the korma sauce – meat, fish or vegetables.
Heat through until piping hot and serve with the saffron and coriander sprinkled over.
Naan bread
Ingredients
For the dough 250g/9oz plain flour 2 tsp sugar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp baking powder 110-130ml/3½-4½fl oz milk 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
For the topping
nigella seeds, poppy seeds or sesame seeds, or chopped garlic and fresh corriander(They were not easy to get so I would throw in a few sultanas and a wee drop desiccated coconut instead) 1 tbsp butter, melted, to serve
Method
For the dough, sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a bowl. In another bowl, mix together the milk and oil. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture. Slowly mix together the dough by working from the centre and incorporating the flour from the edges of the 'well', to make a smooth, soft dough. Knead well for 8-10 minutes(If you don't want a workout and have a whisk with dough hook use it)
, adding a little flour if the dough is too sticky. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes. Form the dough into five balls.
Preheat the grill to medium and place a heavy baking sheet on the upper shelf of the grill to heat.
Roll the dough balls out quite thinly, ideally in a teardrop shape, but really this is just aesthetic. Sprinkle over your chosen topping and press into the surface of the dough. Place the naans onto the hot baking sheet and grill for just 1-2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Brush with butter and serve hot.
Tuesday
was Crispy chicken with leaves ( here i have given the recipe for garlic spinach). Himself wasn't a lover of pasta so it was wholegrain rice again or a wee drop mashed potatoes and plenty of green beans.
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Garlicky Spinach
Serves 2 to 4
2 cooked chicken thighs (leftover from a roasted chicken) 2 cooked chicken wings (leftover from a roasted chicken) 5 ounces fresh baby spinach 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 lemon, juice and zest Olive oil Salt Cooked brown rice, to serve
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken skin-side down in the pan. Cook, without moving, until the skin is crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden, another 3 to 5 minutes. Move the chicken to a serving plate.
Add the spinach and garlic to the skillet, and sprinkle with the nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Serve immediately with the crispy chicken and brown rice.
(we used one clove since he was not a big garlic fan) Wednesday would be big bowls of hearty chicken broth(soup) made with the stock and the small bits of chicken. I would toss in 2 tablespoons well washed barley and plenty of chunky cut winter veg. Hubby would make a fresh loaf in the bread maker with a lovely crust thick slabs would be cut and torn up to dunk.
Thursday
half of the larger pieces of meat would be cooked up with mushrooms and veg in some white sauce and added to rice to make a mock stroganoff
More modern recipe Chicken and Mushroom stroganoff
Ingredients
Serves 4
4 skinless Red Tractor chicken fillets cut into strips
1 knob of butter
2 tsp oil
1 small onion, finely sliced
150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
75ml white wine
75ml chicken stock
1 tsp whole grain mustard
1 x 150ml tub soured cream
bunch of fresh parsley or thyme, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan. Cook the onion for 3 – 4 minutes until soft and beginning to colour. Add the chicken and cook for 5 – 7 minutes until golden brown. Add the mushrooms; cook until soft and most of the liquid has simmered off.
Add the wine and boil for 5 minutes to reduce by half. Then add the stock, mustard and soured cream and bring to the boil. Season and add the parsley.
Serving
Serve immediately over noodles or rice.
Friday I would always save a little bit of the meat which would be padded out with sweet corn and white sauce and added to French pancakes rolled up placed in a dish and a wee bit more white sauce over the top and sprinkled with cheese a few minutes under the grill and served with a salad.
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maeve
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Posts: 1,157
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Post by maeve on Jan 20, 2018 23:17:49 GMT
Now I'm hungry! It was our cast iron girdle/griddle, skillets, Dutch ovens, spider (3-legged skillet)and such falling from the burning beams to the kitchen floor that woke us in time. One broke; the rest still serve us well making happier memories. Thanks for the glance into your life and the recipes, Megan!
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Post by meganl on Jan 21, 2018 18:58:01 GMT
I am heartily glad they warned you in time to escape lass
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maeve
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Posts: 1,157
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Post by maeve on Jan 21, 2018 21:00:38 GMT
Thank you, Twin!
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maeve
Member
Posts: 1,157
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Post by maeve on Jan 21, 2018 23:36:16 GMT
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Post by meganl on Jan 22, 2018 8:38:51 GMT
Had a quick look some lovely things in there
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Post by meganl on Feb 4, 2018 10:25:10 GMT
Scents of time
It is strange how you can be going along minding your own business when a smell will trickle past your nose just the faintest whiff and your mind instantly takes you back to another place and time.
Baking is an obvious one that hot buttery sweetness and you are once more the wee lad or lassie standing in mum or Gran's kitchen watching in fascination as butter and sugar were hand beaten till they were as pale as fresh milk. The flour would be sifted three times to get out lumps and to “put the air in” Before it was added a big old tablespoon at a time with the beaten eggs so it wouldn't curdle. Aye they didny need a gym back then just cooking a dinner was a workout by itself.
One day I was in town and someone was frying fish, not the heavy greasy chip shop smell but the light buttery fishyness of an oatmeal covered morsel. There I was hundreds of miles and many years away from the cold wet street of town. It was almost midnight on a warm summers evening and we sat by the side of Banton Loch, my big brother teaching me how to gut and scale the trout I had caught.
The frying pan placed on the primus stove with a good knob of butter to reach foaming perfection while we tossed the fish in his wee bag of pinhead meal before laying it gently in the pan the aroma floating around the loch drawing the last few hardy,or foolhardy fishers who had missed the last bus home, to join us . When we ran out of fish our stock of Lorne sausages in the tent would be raided fried up and slipped between slices of plain loaf to be handed out wit mugs of hot tea to warm stomachs and spirits while ghostly tales were told.
Another day as I passed a lane my nose was assailed by the slightly acrid tang of garlic and the Town melted away as my memory walked once more the paths of my youth. We would leave Rothsay and walk down through the woods to Ascog Bay through the wild Ransoms that grew all over the woods. The local country showroom me back to that walk as I passed a stall making doughnuts. There was a house in Ascot bay where the man sold cups of tea and freshly doughnuts,large and gnarly to give the wonderful crispy ridges for the sugar to stick to. If I was very good and left a little of my prized doughnut he would take me outside and whistle till the small birds flew out of the trees to take their feast from my small hand.
I am sure there are many others like hot metal and grease and I am either chugging up Loch Lomond on the Maid of the Loch or sailing down the Code on the Waverly. Or berries bubbling in the pot to make the summers jam while uncle Willie watched over them like a grey haired peter pan while his wife chatted in the lounge with my mum.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Feb 7, 2018 21:28:31 GMT
Just a note to say thank you, and I did read and have been thinking about your lovely post meganl . Low on sleep and high on other peoples' needs... back when I can carve out a space.
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Feb 12, 2018 1:43:55 GMT
Beautiful images, as always, Megan. You had a beautiful childhood.
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Post by meganl on Feb 13, 2018 7:57:02 GMT
I am just delighted how much chat the silly wee snippits are generating on the Scottish recipes club. Mostly they start with "Oh we did that I remember" or " We didn't do it that way , we" . What has surprised me is the number of younger members who have shown an interest .
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maeve
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Posts: 1,157
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Post by maeve on Feb 13, 2018 12:24:13 GMT
It's wonderful your discussions there are drawing in multiple generations!
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Feb 17, 2018 3:38:51 GMT
Megan, Your writing is magical. You remember so many details to spark the memories of others. It would be wonderful if someone could gather all your stories and the responses to create a book of domestic history.
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Post by meganl on Mar 1, 2018 9:01:57 GMT
we are working on it Rags the lads and lassies on the recipes group keep asking me to put up a new story
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