Grandma's 1935 Cookbook

Recently I was looking at my grandma's cookbook, dated 1935, for cooking inspiration. Some of the recipes have stood the 'taste' of time, especially the cakes and pastries, but some have not. Curried tripe with eggs to name one. I have tried tripe, cooked in a white sauce with onion. It has to be said honeycomb tripe really doesn't taste of much, it's more of a texture! Some of the recipes in the book look quite interesting and might be worth reviving. Here's a taster

Nettle Squash (the first ingredient is - 2 good handfuls of stinging nettles - ouch!)

Tomato Jam (I'm trying to imagine the taste but it eludes me)

Pickled Nasturtium Flowers or Buds (I wonder if this is like capers)

Pickled Prunes (I just liked the name)

Elderberry Jam (this I might make in late summer as we have them in the garden)

Delhi Broth (The ingredients for this are - Threepennyworth of bones, 4 leeks, salt and pepper and you boil it for 8 hours! Fast food it isn't)

I did try this recipie:

French Potato Tarts

Ingredients:

1. Some short crust pastry 
2. Jam 
3. 1 teacupful of dry, boiled potatoes rubbed through a sieve. 
4. 1 cupful of milk. 
5. 2 eggs A good pinch of salt 
6. 1 tablespoonful of sugar 
7. A little grated nutmeg or lemon rind

Line some patty tins with pasty and put a little jam in each. Put the potatoes in a basin, and gradually stir in the well beaten eggs, sugar, salt and flavouring. Beat the mixture till smooth, adding the milk gradually. Put enough to three parts fill each patty pan, and bake in a hot oven at first, then a moderate one until the pastry is cooked and the custard is set.

I tried the tarts and also made a large one in a metal flan ring, which I think worked better. I flavoured it with nutmeg and it tasted like egg custard, but with a moist texture. I also decided 1 tablespoon of sugar seemed too little so added an extra one.