RECIPE LEGACY PART ONE

did anyone see the hairy bikers programme last night? i just watched it on i-player whilst ironing cot sheets. now i must admit i'm not really partial to a hairy biker but i liked the angle of the show...mum knows best. such a lovely sentiment...the thought of a family recipe making it's way from one generation to another. i'm sure it's something we all do but i now feel compelled to actually put pen to paper and make it a proper project this year to collate what i can from my own family.

both my grandmothers were brilliant cooks. they really loved their food. neither was a by the book recipe cook but the sort who could measure by eye and we all had a favourite thing that they would make. never wasted anything. cooked simple hearty family dinners.

brenda {my paternal grandma} made an amazing yorkshire pudding. not your little individual ones but always a gigantic one pan version. very eggy. sliced in to portions...tradition would have it that we'd always eat it on it's own with leeky gravy before tucking in to the sunday roast dinner. i remember my granddad always put lots of pepper and vinegar on his! she also made huge jars of pickled vegetables which my dad loved. he bought me a book on lost crafts for christmas which includes a chapter on pickling...this year i am going to attempt to perfect the recipe for him.

mary {my maternal grandma} made crumbles and scones and tarts and dumplings. her freezer was always full of precious handpicked fruits that would make their way slowly through the year in to puddings various. she would make them super quick...no scales required...and if there was any crumble leftover my grandad would delight in eating it with cold custard the next day. i always loved that she started adding oats to her crumble topping after i came home from school and showed her one that i'd made in class. i miss watching her in the kitchen.

to be continued...til then i'm thinking about the cheese pie and rumpy-pumpy soup made by maureen on the tv!