08 August 2016

Blog Tour for Maggie's Kitchen by Caroline Beecham

Today I'm participating in the Maggie's Kitchen blog tour thanks to Allen & Unwin. I'm sharing a recipe straight from Maggie’s Kitchen by Australian author Caroline Beecham so I hope you enjoy it. Looks delicious doesn't it?

Woolton Pie Recipe
The combination of oatmeal and vegetables is what makes this dish one of the most significant from the Second World War; both foods were home-grown and both full of nutrition. Oatmeal was added to many dishes because it increased the food’s nutritional value and made it go further. The basic Woolton pie would only have contained potatoes, swedes, carrots, leeks, cauliflower or whatever was in season, but here sweet potato and broccoli are used for extra flavour, although you can use any combination of your most-loved vegetables.

Woolton Pie from Maggie’s Kitchen by
Caroline Beecham
Ingredients
450g/16oz each diced potatoes, swedes, carrots and cauliflower (or
sweet potato and broccoli)
4 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp vegetable extract (or Bovril or Oxo)
1 tbsp oatmeal
Chopped parsley
225g/8oz sliced potatoes or pastry for topping
½ cup grated cheese
Gravy (to serve)

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. 
Place vegetables, vegetable extract and oatmeal in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste. Allow to cool and then place in a pie dish, sprinkle with parsley then cover with potatoes or pastry crust and cheese. Bake until topping is browned and serve with steaming hot gravy. Serves 4–6.

About the Book
Published by Allen & Unwin
RRP $29.99, available now
When the Ministry of Food urgently calls for the opening of British Restaurants to feed tired and hungry Londoners during the Second World War, Maggie Johnson is close to realising a long-held dream.

But after struggling through government red-tape and triumphantly opening its doors, Maggie's Kitchen soon encounters a most unexpected problem. Her restaurant has become so popular with London's exhausted workers, that Maggie simply can't get enough supplies to keep up with demand for food, without breaking some of the rules.

With the support of locals, and the help of twelve-year-old Robbie, a street urchin, and Janek, a Polish refugee dreaming of returning to his native land, the resourceful Maggie evades the first threats of closure from the Ministry. As she fights to keep her beloved Kitchen open, Maggie also tries desperately to reunite Robbie with his missing father, as well as manage her own family's expectations. Ultimately, she can no longer ignore the unacknowledged hopes of her own heart, and the discovery that some secrets have the power to change everything.

More Info
Find out more information about Maggie’s Kitchen follow Caroline Beecham on Twitter @CarolineBeecham

Would you like to comment?

  1. I've linked your post and the blog tour for this book to our post about Caroline.

    The dish looks delicious!

    https://braysbooksblog.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/local-author-caroline-beecham/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the comment and the link. The pie does look delicious doesn't it? But I can't claim credit, mine could never look that good.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comment, Carpe Librum!