The days start to get longer in February, and if this month lives up to its reputation then it's usually wet and windy with the kitchen still one of the warmest places to be. But let's look on the bright side of what this month has to offer.

On the whole it's best to buy British and seasonally where possible as supply lines in our shops and supermarkets tend to get shorter this month, with fruit and vegetables spending less time in refrigerated conditions.

However, there's 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, with forced rhubarb now making its appearance.

I have only to see the delicate jewelled pink stalks appearing in our shops and on our market stalls to get my taste buds salivating in anticipation of eating mouth-watering rhubarb crumbles and delicious rhubarb tarts and, this month, with the array of pancake recipes I am featuring, why not make a rhubarb compote to sandwich between this easy and versatile dessert, which can be served not just on Shrove Tuesday but at any time of the year.

It's also the time of the year when we yearn for comfort food, and with this in mind I've included a warming Pork and Apple Casserole with a Pineapple Meringue Pudding to follow, guaranteed to ward off those winter chills that will still be with us.

SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKES
Shrove Tuesday nearly always falls in February, and it's still customary to remember this day by making and tossing pancakes, but these days, with recipes for all the different fillings around, I tend to make them throughout the year. However, many will agree that the best pancakes are made using the basic ingredients and eaten with a squeeze of lemon juice and a liberal sprinkling of caster sugar. But for those of you who still want to be a bit more adventurous with your pancakes, there are variations for sweet and savoury fillings.

BASIC PANCAKE BATTER
Makes about 12 pancakes.

Ingredients: 110g plain flour. Pinch of salt. 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. ½ pint of milk. 1 tablespoon melted butter or salad oil. Method: Sift flour with salt into a bowl, make a well in the centre, add the egg and egg yolk, begin to add the milk slowly, stirring all the time. When half the milk has been added, stir in the 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. Makes about 12. Use a heavy frying pan about 6" – 7" diameter. Serve with a good squeeze of lemon juice for each pancake and plenty of caster sugar.

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
These buttermilk pancakes make a for a perfect weekend breakfast, omit the sugar from this recipe and top the pancakes with scrambled egg and crispy bacon.

Slightly sweetened, the pancakes make a delicious teatime treat buttered and spread with jam or honey, or a tangy delicious rhubarb sauce (see below).

Makes 16 pancakes.

Ingredients: 225g plain flour. ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda. ½ teaspoon salt. 1 tbsp sugar, optional. 2 eggs, beaten. 300ml buttermilk. Method: In a bowl mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar, if using. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and buttermilk, gradually mixing to make a smooth, thick batter. Beat for 2-3 minutes until very smooth. Lightly grease a griddle or heavy frying pan and heat to moderate. Spoon tablespoons of the batter on to the griddle or pan, keeping them well apart, and cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles burst on the surface. Turn the pancakes over and cook until golden brown. Remove from pan and keep warm by wrapping them in a clean tea towel while you cook the remaining batter.

RHUBARB SAUCE
Ingredients: Several sticks of young rhubarb. Clear honey. Orange flower water.
Method: Wash and top and tail rhubarb before cutting into slices approximately ½ inch thickness. Soften in a little boiling water with lid on pan. Sweeten with honey and flavour with a few dashes of orange flower water (optional). Serve hot or cold on your pancakes.

AMERICAN PANCAKES
These are very popular in America and are served mostly at breakfast time with maple syrup.

Makes 8.

Ingredients: 225g plain flour. 4 tsp baking powder. 2 tsp caster sugar. 1 tsp salt. 2 eggs. 350ml milk. 25g butter, melted. Butter for frying. Method: Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a bowl. Whisk eggs, milk and melted butter together. Stir into dry ingredients and mix until evenly blended. Heat a little butter in a frying pan and when hot pour in sufficient batter to give a 5 inch pancake (¼ inch thick). Cook until top of pancake looks bubbly, turn and cook until golden. Repeat, making 8 pancakes. Serve with maple syrup.

SAVOURY GRIDDLE PANCAKES
Makes 4 – 8.

Ingredients: 110g self-raising flour. Pinch of salt. 1 egg. 200ml milk. 2 tsp vegetable oil. Method: Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and break in the egg. Gradually whisk in the milk to make a thick batter, then add your chosen flavouring (see below). Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Using a large tablespoon, spoon the batter into four large or 8 small heaps in the pan, making sure they don't touch each other. When you see bubbles on the surface, flip carefully using a fish slice. Cook for a few minutes more until golden brown.

Fillings: Stir in 75g grated Cheddar cheese and 50g sweet corn (thawed if frozen). Curried chicken: Stir in two teaspoons of curry paste, 50g peas (thawed if frozen) and



75g chopped cooked chicken. Prawn and lemon: Stir in 50g cooked peeled prawns (thawed, if frozen), four spring onions, chopped with darker ends removed and juice of half a lemon.

Note: All these pancakes have been made using Alice and John's flour, which can be purchased from Hollow Trees Farm Shop, Semer; Sparling Bakery, Lavenham, plus other selected outlets or direct from Alice and John Pawsey at Lavenham Lodge, Lavenham. Tel. 01284 827317 email: flours@aliceandjohn.org or go to
www.aliceandjohn.org.

PORK AND APPLE CASSEROLE
Serves 6.

Ingredients: 900g pork shoulder or loin sliced ½ inch thick. 12 small white onions (large onions chopped will do). 1 tablespoon flour. ¼ pint dry white wine. ¼ pt chicken stock (I use a chicken cube). Salt and pepper to taste. 1 tsp dried oregano and rosemary mixed. 1 tsp minced parsley. 450g Bramley cooking apples, peeled and quartered. Method: Trim fat off the pork slices and melt in a heavy frying pan. Sauté the pork and onions in the fat. Remove to casserole. If there is much fat left in the pan pour it out and measure back 1 tablespoon. Stir in the flour and slowly add the wine and stock cube, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thick. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper, add the herbs, and pour over the casserole. Cover tightly and cook for 2 hours in preheated oven 150C, 300F. Gas Mk 2. When casserole has cooked for 1½ hours stir in the apples, cover again and finishing cooking. Serve with mashed potatoes and green vegetable of your choice.

PINEAPPLE MERINGUE PUDDING

Serves 4.

Ingredients: 1 medium size tin of pineapple. 50g butter, melted. 50g flour. 2 eggs. 1 pint liquid (syrup from tin, plus milk), 50g caster sugar. Method: Melt butter in pan, add flour and blend. Add milk and syrup and stir over heat until it boils. Add most of the pineapple cut up, the yolks of the eggs and half the sugar. Pour into an ovenproof dish and bake for about 20 minutes in preheated oven 180C, 350F, Gas Mk4 until set. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and add remainder of sugar. Pile on top of pudding, decorate with pieces of pineapple and return to oven to set meringue.

Next month Mothering Sunday and Easter will arrive, when I will have some special teatime treats in my cookery column to celebrate these two occasions.