CATCH OF THE DAY

Vegetable markets have plenty of choice, with several varieties of cabbage, including the purple-tinted January King, which can last until April, and fruit stalls are becoming more colourful and varied. February can be a bright and frosty month, which helps to sweeten up the flavour of Brussels sprouts, parsnips and other root crops, and it's the month when nights get lighter, days become longer and dark cheerless January disappears.

Fishmongers now have a plentiful supply of large winter cod, haddock and whiting, so fish is on the menu this month. Try these crisp herby fish cakes in a hot spicy tomato sauce; they win hands down over the commercially produced ones which, I think, lack flavour and texture.

CRISP HERBY FISHCAKES

Serves 4.

Ingredients: 275g (10 ozs) cooked flaked white fish. 275g (10 ozs) fresh boiled potatoes, mashed or put through a strainer. 25g (1 oz) butter, melted. 1 egg, beaten. 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley. 1 tbsp chives, chopped. 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. 110g (4 ozs) dried breadcrumbs for frying and 1 beaten egg. Method: Mix fish and potatoes in a warm bowl. Season well, add melted butter and mix well. Add beaten egg and chopped herbs and chill for 30 minutes. Shape into eight flat cakes and coat in egg and breadcrumbs. Fry in hot shallow oil. Goes well with this hot spicy tomato sauce and sauté potatoes.

HOT SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

Place 700g (1½ lb) roughly chopped tomatoes in a saucepan with 1 tbsp olive oil. 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed. 1 tbsp fresh or dried basil. 1 tsp dry mustard. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped basil, pinch of chilli powder and sugar to taste, salt and pepper. Simmer for a further 5-10 minutes. Then pass through a sieve and reheat before serving.

CIDER BAKED HADDOCK

In Somerset, where I spent most of my growing up years, a generous dash of cider was put into most cooking, and I've used cider in this recipe - it gives the fish a fresh tangy taste and takes away the blandness.

Serves 4.

Ingredients: 700g (1½ lb) fresh haddock fillet, skinned. Dry cider, enough to cover fish. 176g (6 ozs) grated heddar cheese. Milk. 1 egg, beaten. 35g (1½ ozs) butter. 35g (1½ ozs) flour. Salt and pepper. Method: Place haddock in a flat ovenproof dish. Add salt and pepper and cover with cider. Seal dish with foil and bake in preheated oven 180C, 350F, Gas Mk 4 for 25-30 minutes, or until fish is cooked. Drain liquid and make up to 425ml (¾ pt) with milk. Cover fish with foil and keep warm. Make a sauce with the butter, flour and liquid. When cooked add 150g (5 ozs) of the cheese and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and stir in the beaten egg. Pour sauce over fish and sprinkle remainder of cheese on top. Return to oven until cheese is melted and creamy on top. Serve with crusty bread or a jacket potato.

TROUT IN TOMATO SAUCE WITH NOODLES

With the long dark nights still with us, what better than a wholesome meal of trout in tomato sauce and noodles. Colourful and delicious, this recipe is sure to give you the taste of summer, even when it's cold and wet outside. It's quick, easy to prepare and can be on the table in under 20 minutes!

Serves 4.

Ingredients: 350g (12 ozs) flat noodles. 3 tbsp olive oil. 50g (2 ozs) polyunsaturated margarine. 1 large onion, finely chopped. 1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped. 225g ((8 ozs) mushrooms, sliced. 4 trout fillets, skinned and roughly diced. 1 tbsp tomato purée. 300ml ( ½ pt) low fat crème fraiche. Freshly ground black pepper. 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil. Method: Bring water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add noodles and boil for
10-12 minutes. When soft, drain, mix in 1 tbsp of olive oil and place on a warm serving dish. Meanwhile, in a large deep frying pan, melt margarine with remaining olive oil. Add onion and garlic and fry until tender. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Stir in the trout, tomato purée and crème fraiche, simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in basil. Pour sauce over the noodles. Serve with crusty bread and side salad.

PANCAKE DAY

In England pancakes, traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, are one of the most versatile and easy to prepare snacks, and you can be forgiven the extra calories if you are planning to make pancakes on the 20th February! In most Latin countries the Tuesday before Lent is carnival time, the reason for this feasting being to use up all the rich foods before the rigours of Lent. Pancake batter was a good way of using butter, eggs and milk, so variations of this batter became regional specialities, served exclusively before Lent at markets, fairs and carnivals.

BASIC PANCAKE BATTER
(with a few variations for sweet and savour fillings)

Makes about 12 pancakes.

Ingredients: 110g (4 ozs) plain flour. Pinch of salt. 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. 300ml (½ pt) milk. 25g (1 oz) melted butter or vegetable oil. Method: Sift flour with salt into a bowl, make a well in the centre, add the egg and the yolk, begin to add the milk slowly, stirring all the time. When half the milk has been added, stir in melted butter or oil and
beat well until smooth. Add remaining milk and leave to stand for 30 minutes before using. The batter should have the consistency of thin cream; if too thick, add a little extra milk. Use a heavy frying pan about 6" to 7" diameter.

VARIATIONS FOR SWEET AND SAVOURY FILLINGS

Savoury

1. Make enough cheese sauce to fill 12 pancakes and add cooked flaked haddock to sauce.
2. Add cooked mushroom slices to soured cream.
3.Add cubed chopped ham to parsley sauce.

Sweet

1. Heat an equal number of tablespoons of apricot jam and water with a good squeeze of lemon juice, if liked add some chopped almonds.
2. Melt 3 x ½ ozs plain chocolate with brandy and grated orange.
Morello cherries too, make a delicious filling – good enough for a dinner party.
The list is endless, but a squeeze of lemon juice and plenty of caster sugar still takes some beating!

BACK TO ROOTS WITH STEAMING SOUPS

VEGETABLE AND CHEDDAR SOUP

Serves 4.
Suitable for vegetarians.

Ingredients: 25g (1 oz) butter. 1 tbsp olive oil. 1 onion, chopped. 225g (8 ozs) chopped potato. 2 sticks celery, chopped. 550g (1lb 4oz) mixed root vegetables – ie extra potato,
swedes, parsnips and carrots, chopped. 140g (5 ozs) Cheddar cheese. 1 ltr (1¾ pts) hot vegetable stock. 1 tbsp whole grain mustard. Method: Heat butter and oil in large pan. Add onion and cook for 8 minutes until golden. Add other vegetables and stir. Season, cover, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Grate half the cheese and cut remainder into small cubes. Pour stock into pan, bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes until vegetables are softened. Whizz in food processor until smooth. Return to warm pan and stir in most of grated cheese and all cubes until cheese begins to melt. Stir in the mustard and season. Sprinkle with cheesy croutons – ie toss ½ " cubes of bread in olive oil, season and bake at 190C, 375F, Gas Mk 5 for 10-12mins, topping with 25g (1 oz) grated cheese halfway through

CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

A light, creamy colourful soup, which takes no time at all to prepare.

Ingredients: 450g (1lb) carrots. 225g (8ozs) tomatoes. 850ml (1½ pts) chicken stock (a chicken stock cube will do). 300ml (½ pt) milk. 75g (3ozs) butter. Chopped parsley, pepper and salt. Method: Slice carrots thinly. Peel and chop tomatoes. Melt butter in thick saucepan and cook carrots for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes. Pour in the stock and season. Simmer until carrots are soft. Put in blender. Return to pan and add hot milk. Garnish and parsley.

These soups are taken from my book "My Kind of People, My Kind of Cooking", and can be frozen for up to 2 months, do not freeze longer as they will lose their flavour.

HERBY LAMB CASSEROLE

To make this dish more economical, use diced shoulder of lamb and make double the quantity to freeze for another day.

Serves 4.

Ingredients: 4 loin lamb chops. 1 dsp flour. 110g (4 ozs) mushrooms. 5 tbsp stock (or lamb stock cube). 1 onion. 4 tbsp white breadcrumbs. 1 tbsp chopped parsley. ½ tsp mixed herbs. 25g (1 oz) butter. Salt and pepper. Method: Trim any excess fat from the chops and tuck ends in neatly. Coat chops with flour and seasoning, and arrange them in the base of a shallow fireproof dish. Trim, wash and slice the mushrooms thinly. Add these to the dish and pour in the stock. Slice the onion finely; mix with breadcrumbs, parsley, herbs and seasoning. Spread evenly over the dish. Dot the surface with the butter. Bake in preheated oven 190C, 375F, Gas Mk 5 for 45 – 60 minutes. Serve with fluffy cooked rice.

Next month we have a light chocolate sponge, apple scones, cakes, and tea breads to remind us of the "The Delights of Afternoon Tea". And two delicious desserts to welcome the arrival spring.