Ration Week part 3

Nothing terribly interesting to report--today is, I think, a day of recycled leftovers and some kind of salad. Salad never seems a very English thing to me--my parents had an anecdote about visiting England on their honeymoon in '69 and having eaten so much meat and starch that when they finally found a vegetarian restaurant and wolfed down several salads, they were both literally glowing. I mean, their cheeks were rosy and whatnot. In all events, whatever unfair stereotypes I might have about the culinary habits of my British ancestors, there was a lot of vegetable-eating going in WW2, as meat was rationed vegetables were very important, and of course Victory Gardens played a huge part...






"Dig for Victory" was one of the most successful campaigns of the time--people were strongly encouraged to grow whatever they could in their own gardens (things that grew well in England, like potatoes, carrots, cabbage, etc). Even some public parks were dug up to contribute to the effort. Even in the 18 inches of topsoil that covered the roof of Anderson shelters, people would plant vegetables.

Anyway, before I go make a salad (radishes, lettuce/cabbage, SPAM...ew) and some baked beans on the side, here's something I came across while looking for other recipes... looks as though I'm not the only one who's wanting the challenge of a Ration Week, though my motives are perhaps a little different. I confess I only skimmed through the article, but it seems quite interesting.