A World War II Springtime Meal
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This week, I gained a whole new level of respect for 1940s homemakers. It happened when I decided to try one of the menus provided in the Ministry of Food Leaflet, “10 Menus for High Teas and Suppers.” This is one of countless ideas the British government shared for how to feed one’s family during war.
As was typical for the time, the leaflet began with an explanation of how to put together a nutritionally balanced meal. Severe import restrictions caused changes to most citizens’ diets. Long working hours—for the first time, away from home for millions of women—compounded the difficulty of preparing meals. It was essential for everyone to remain healthy and able to work so the government put great emphasis on teaching nutrition.
Leaflet No. 7 advised that a high tea or supper “should include either a raw salad or a correctly cooked vegetable dish and one of the body-building foods.” There were also “protective foods” and “fillers.” Homemakers were constantly encouraged to prepare well-balanced meals including all of these.
Menu 6
I decided to try Menu 6, a combination of creamed sardine pie, green salad, bread, margarine (I opted for butter) and jam. To make the sardine pie, I had to also refer to Ministry of Food Leaflet No. 27, “Potatoes,” for the short pastry. With wheat flour in short supply, pastry using either raw or mashed potato was more common.
For the salad and salad dressing, I used a photo and recipe in The Wartime Kitchen and Garden. I replicated the wartime salad as closely as possible and used the recipe for Economical Salad Dressing—not surprisingly, from another Ministry of Food leaflet. The Ministry of Food put a simply enormous effort into educating homemakers about nutrition. Home economics was that important for winning the war.
The sardine filling was tasty, although if I were making this recipe again, I would use mackerel. Mackerel is another sustainable fish, similar in size to sardines but much less odiferous. Tinned salmon would also be good (perhaps with a bit of ketchup added). The top of the potato short pastry was edible and the bottom crust doubles nicely as a blunt weapon.
A New Take on Salad
The salad was very different from anything I am used to. It still included vegetables but all of them were separate and whole. The version I modeled mine from included gooseberries. The closest I could get to those were large grapes. It was fun—and empowering—to be able to harvest half of the salad ingredients from what has appeared in our yard this early in Spring. It took less than five minutes to gather tender dandelion leaves and chives (my substitute for spring onions), and they were delicious. I did soak the dandelion leaves in cold water for a few minutes to be sure they were completely clean.
A Wartime Salad Dressing
The Economical Salad Dressing was the best part of the menu—not great on its own but when supplemented with a few herbs, a magnificent ranch dressing without expensive mayonnaise or sour cream. This dressing could be the base for other creamy salad dressings and is just the sort of recipe to help in times of shortage or surprise company. It also makes an excellent dip—with the extra herbs, that is. I am including the original recipe plus my herb additions in case you want to try it. The photo below shows the dressing as it was made during World War II, without herbs.
Wartime Salad and Economical Salad Dressing
Final Thoughts
The entire meal took about an hour to prepare. Frankly, I could not imagine having to make this meal after ten or more hours of war-related volunteer or conscription work. Not only did it take energy to work through new recipes, including the unusual pastry, but my kitchen looked like a war zone by the time all was done. It took another half hour to clean up—and that was with a dishwasher! If I had had to wash all the dishes by hand, I might have cried. Looking at “Menu 6,” looking so innocently simple in Leaflet No. 7, I never would have guessed how much work it would end up being. And then, I had to figure out how to improve the salad dressing before supper.
It was my first try using potato pastry; perhaps more experimentation would yield some way to make the bottom crust edible. The Creamed Sardine Pie recipe is an amazing way to stretch one 4-ounce tin of sardines to feed a family of four. Even though I was only able to eat the top crust, the salad and bread were so filling, the meal was plenty. I couldn’t even finish the salad.
Using a flour-based pie crust would make this meal definitely enough for four people without losing the bottom crust. Alternatively, I could have put a layer of leftover mashed potatoes in a dish, put the sardine filling over, and another layer of mashed potatoes on top. Finished with a sprinkle of cheese and baked, this would feed at least four people and require no flour pastry.
I can only imagine how many evenings World War II homemakers had, working through such challenges with all the other things they had to attend to. Most kitchens were small and bereft of time-saving appliances or gadgets. It’s no wonder the government enlisted so many home economists to help the women on the home front. My admiration for their tenacity in dealing with dinner every single night, year after year as the war dragged on, is greater than ever. May we be as well prepared, and as helpful to one another, during our trying times as they were in theirs.
Economical Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt the fat in a pan, stir in the flour and mustard and cook together for a couple of minutes.
- Then add the liquid gradually, stirring well.
- Season well with salt and pepper and add vinegar to taste. A tablespoonful of salad oil whisked in before the vinegar is added is an improvement.
- Store in a corked bottle.
- My additions, added at the end: 4 tablespoons dried parsley, 1 tablespoon dried dill leaf, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Blend in well.
References
Norman, Jill (Foreward). Eating for Victory: Healthy Home Front Coking on War Rations. Reproductions of Official Second World War Instruction Leaflets. London: Michael O’Mara Books Ltd., 2007.
Davies, Jennifer. The Wartime Kitchen and Garden: The Home Front 1939-45. London: BBC Books, 1993.
“She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household…Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”
Proverbs 31:15a, 25