Yes you can. If your dvd recorder is digital it will be easy - the channels will show up exactly as it did with your old tv.
If it is analogue only it is a bit more complicated. You need to switch tv and dvd recorder on, and find out which EXT or AV connection the freeview is using. Put the tv on a digital only channel so you can recognise it easily. On the dvd recorder press the AV button until the tv programme is displayed through the DVD recorder.
You will need to set the dvd to record either AV1, AV2, EXT1 or EXT2 as the channel and keep the tv switched to that channel for the duration of the recording.