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Countdown to Spring, pancakes and other things...
"Why, what’s the matter, that you have such a February face, so full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?” – Much Ado About Nothing.
So, it seems even Shakespeare couldn’t bring himself to write nice things about February. The last of the winter months, it is generally cold and pretty gloomy with nothing much to do but wait. February can, however, be usefully spent planning the coming year’s plantings and perhaps buying-in some supplies. On the Well Seasoned allotment we’ve been dusting down the planting pots, clearing away the debris which is (shamefully) still loitering from last year and planning our chilli crop which will need planting (indoors) in March. In the kitchen, warming, hearty fare is still the order of the day with stews and soups going down well. The season for most species of game finished on 1st February but the shops still have a wide variety of wild meats which we've been making into pies, pasties and terrines.
Slightly depressing as it can be, February is not without its seasonal celebrations. The 14th is, of course, Valentine’s day but of more interest to us foodies is the 16th. So popular is the food on this day that many people have forgotten it's official title is Shrove Tuesday, not "Pancake Day". More pancake patter in due course but if you want to practice in advance you won't go far wrong with Delia’s basic pancake recipe.
Is it our imagination or could Spring be just around the corner? It’s certainly not that far away; February is at least the shortest month.
Well Seasoned News in Brief
Patrick went to Devon (again). Alex is counting the days until the start of the trout season. The Twig bought some new thermals...toasty.
So hot right now...
Our favourite fab Feb foods:
- Chicory
- Leeks
- Cockles
- Hare
- Forced Rhubarb
- Pollock
You can find more in-season goodies with the Well Seasoned Seasonality Charts.
Producer of the month and free salami!
Well Seasoned's Producer of the Month for February is the Real Boar Company. The Real Boar Co. rear their own wild boar in 20 acres of mixed Cotswolds woodland. As well as selling boar meat to some of the country's finest restaurants they make some really rather delicious boar salamis including versions with red wine and sloe gin. British wild boar is low fat, low food-miles and incredibly tasty (think pork but with a whole lot more flavour), so it's easy to see why the Well Seasoned team are huge fans.
We have a £20 voucher to give away courtesy of this great British producer which is enough to get you one of their 400g fine, boxed salamis. For details of how to get your hands on this premium porcine prize click here.
Flat facts
We thought you might enjoy the top 10 pancake facts we uncovered during our research. (If you have any others, do let us know and we'll publish them next month.)
1. The first recipe for a pancake appeared in an English cookbook in the fifteenth century.
2. In Ireland, the eldest daughter would traditionally toss the first pancake. If she did so successfully she would supposedly marry within the year.
3. The name Shrove comes from the old word “shrive” which means to confess.
4. In the Midlands, the first pancake was given to the family chickens to ensure they produced eggs for the forthcoming year.
5. Elsewhere in England, the first three pancakes were sacred. They were marked with the sign of the cross and sprinkled with salt to ward off evil.
6. In Brazil they celebrate “Terça-feira gorda”, in Greece it is known as “Apocreas and in Iceland “Sprengidagur” (Bursting day).
7. The record for speed pancakes flipping is 349 tosses in 2 minutes.
8. Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli holds the world record for the highest pancake toss at 329cm.
9. The first recorded pancake race was in Olney, Buckinghamshire in 1445.
10. The tiny African Pancake Tortoise has a flat, soft and flexible shell, enabling it to squeeze under rocks when in danger. aaaah.
Events
7th February: Hurling the Silver Ball, St Ives
St Ives in Cornwall hosts this epic game with commendably few rules. At 10.30am a silver ball is thrown from the church wall into the crowd of competitors. The game spills onto the beach and into the streets with the person who returns the ball at 12.00pm to the mayor being declared the winner and receiving the reward of five shillings.
Competition news
Entries are coming in thick and fast for our Winter competition to win a seasonal cookery course. Don't forget to enter your Spring shots in our photo competition to win one of four ultra-exclusive Well Seasoned aprons. We've had some really amazing snowy snaps over the Winter but it'll soon be time for green shoots and snowdrops. And maybe chocolate eggs.
Enjoy what's left of Winter and we'll see you in the Spring!
Patrick, Alex and the Twig
Well Seasoned
  
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Cockles: it's pretty cold this time of year so you might prefer to get these from your fishmonger rather than forage for them yourself. A delicious addition to any fishy dish.
Chicory: Red and white varieties of this tasty plant are available throughout winter. Try them in a hearty winter salad.
Hare: Similar in appearance but much richer in taste to its distant cousin the rabbit. Jugged or in a stew or pie, it's all delicious
The African pancake tortoise: Not, strictly speaking, seasonal food
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