Boiled bacon and parsley sauce.

This says home --in at least four family houses-- to me. It's just a boiled hock of ham, cut into thick slices and served with whole carrots, potatoes (floury if you can but, as it's summer, some new little ones would be good, too) and a proper parsely sauce. Sometimes, my mother made this with butter beans rather than potatoes. I will say, though, that plenty of black pepper to grind over the top is a must. As is a splash of vinegar -- and I mean malt vinegar. Cheap as chips.

And yes I know I've called it bacon -- but that's because my family does. If you look back at my July the 4th ham, you'll see some clarification. Instead of the ham hock, you could use a decent piece of gammon which could be cheaper.

Get together a 2kg ham
6-8 medium potatoes (or, say, 12 smaller ones)
12 medium carrots
Your biggest pan!

So, first boil your ham. I'd think a 2kg ham hock should do it, with seconds and hopefully a few leftovers. Put it in a big saucepan filled with cold water. Bring it to the boil and simmer for around an hour and forty minutes. At which time, you would add the potatoes and the carrots to the pan. The potatoes should be in large chunks or whole if they are smaller; the carrots whould be whole, but cut in half or even in three sections, lengthwise, if they are on the big side. Cook the lot for another twenty minutes and during this time make your parsley sauce. You may prefer to cook your potatoes and carrots in two separate pans. I prefer not to for the sake of economy (as in fuel and washing up).

Make a roux in a small saucepan with about a tablespoon of plain flour and 50g of butter. Cook it very gently. Then add the milk --it's a good idea to whisk it-- about 500ml, a little at a time until you have a smooth mixture. Now simmer this very gently for around five minutes, add the chopped parsely and season to taste. Full fat milk is nicest (no surprises there) but semi skimmed is what I have to hand in our house.

Now, when you have made the sauce and the two hour ham cooking time is up, take out your ham, slice it into generous pieces and give everyone some potatoes and carrots. Hand round the parsley sauce. I have never known anyone not to be grateful for a dinner such as this.

Those butter beans. If you want, soak some butter beans overnight or for about 8 hours. I'd give precise measurements, but it seems simpler to suggest allowing two handfuls of dried butterbeans per person. Cook them with the ham for the second hour. They should be soft but not have turned to mush. And I don't think this recipe works with tinned butterbeans, which seem to have been boiled to death and acquired an unpleasant acidic tang into the bargain -- but correct me if you've found some better ones.

The leftover ham would be splendid with a good salad or in sandwiches with pickle. And don't waste that ham stock. I mentioned that with the July 4th ham. Turn it into a split pea soup (there should be twice as much liquid in volume as lentils) or do the same with fresh or frozen green peas, in which case liquidise or hand blend the soup after you have brought it to the boil and simmered for ten minutes.