ROAST LAMB with VEGIES

No recipe given. From memory, she …

Put the oven very high (270 degrees C?) and when ready, popped the large leg in for 10-15 minutes ‘to start the browning process’. Then turned it down to about 180 degrees C.

Meanwhile, another baking dish on top of stove had a lot of lard then 1 Tab? sugar sprinkled in, then the vegetable chunks were added to caramelize for a time, before they too were added to the oven (in their own baking dish). I think she seasoned them before putting in the oven – lots of pepper.

Her gravy used the meat juices & browning (the fat was drained off) that were left after the roast was cooked (meat was transferred to vegie baking dish still in the oven, I think).

With the pan on low, a handful of flour was spread across the browning (which had sufficient fat to stop it burning) and using the flat edge of a carving fork, she’d continue to scrape up the browning and mix in the flour, then some warm vegie water was added as needed while she continued to mix it all together until it thickened. With sufficient liquid, she’d leave it to simmer for quite a while, thinning & stirring when necessary until it was thick, dark brown and no longer floury.

Salt and pepper was added – lots of pepper sometimes – on vegies and gravy both.

Vegies were usually butternut pumpkin (unlike others types, it didn’t need refrigeration), parsnip and potatoes were cut into large chunks, and the carrot halves split longways. Served with peas.

GRANDMA’S CAKES

No recipes for these, but some examples remembered:

Chocolate Cake – mixed up in her Mix-Master (big blender)
Currant cake, Orange & Poppyseed cakes

Upside-down cake – pineapple & glace cherries – came out glazed when turned over

Christmas cake – always had in there, her dried almonds and, we think, her muscatel grapes dried into raisins

Ring Cake – vanilla flavoured, with a butter icing sprinkled with jelly crystals

Cheesecake – probably baked.  Topped with made-up red jelly.