I have been thinking on this one. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, both having raised large families through the depression and beyond.
How they cooked was different. And I think I need to really adopt some of those ideas. My grandma's best friend was her pressure cooker. Shred left over meat, add veggies and a little broth and cook. It wasn't a stew, but it was similar but tastier, and the left over meat was always very tender. She shredded carrots and celery and froze it to add to soups, stews, added lots of flavor. She preserved berries, like a runny jam, and used it as dessert with a touch of cream, or toppings for simple cakes or ice cream. Berries were from the garden or wild pickings.
I really wish I had her journal to read through, she shared lots of little information in there on nearly a daily basis. It wasn't a personal journal, but a record of things that happened. Who visited, a new recipe the weather. It is great to read, it was no nonsense, much like her. I hope my mom finds it, I asked for a scanned copy for Christmas but she isn't computer literate, hoping she finds it, she thinks it's in the safe.
But side tracked. This is really a good thread. I have the cookbook, More-With-Less. It really fits this theme. It's really about cooking with less in it. Basic simple foods. The irony, of all my cookbooks, this one is the go-to. I haven't had it that long,but I have used many many recipes in it. It's the perfect cookbook for camping, as you don't need all that many add-ins. It's a book that is so worth having. And the introductory chapters are worth the book, even without the recipes.