Charlotte's Basket - February

The ingredients I'm growing, buying and cooking with this month

Whilst there may not be a lot to harvest in the garden this month, there are plenty of delicious, seasonal ingredients to pick up in the shops.

Vegetable-wise, there are many lovely brassicas around to enjoy. Cavolo Nero, Pentland Brigg and curly kale are all plentiful. Sprout trees are still around (good news for sprout-lovers, like me), and rainbow chard is mostly surviving the frost. I’ve had some great cabbages in the last week, too. Hispi and Savoy varieties have been very nice. I’ve been stir-frying them and making them into slaws, with an asian-inspired dressing made with soy, orange, lime and sesame. Delicious.

Turnips and swede are worth remembering. They roast and mash well. Fresh horseradish is worth a go if you’ve never tried it.

Bitter leaves are a seasonal delight to seek out at the moment. I adore them all. Try radicchio or castelfranco. They make such good salads, and roast, char or braise brilliantly.

Fruit-wise, the Yorkshire forced rhubarb has been good, and the citrus fruits continue to be excellent. I love blood oranges and mandarins especially. Some pears are also very good. Williams have been especially sweet and ripe for me in the recent weeks.

I’m trying to work my way through the last of the stored beetroot and potatoes, so that we can clear the decks for the new growing season. It’s a bit chilly for the seedlings in the greenhouse, so I will have to get sowing again as soon as possible. I’ll keep you posted on the no-dig beds as soon as we get going for the season.

And if you’re after some recipe book inspiration, I have some suggestions and a competition for paid subscribers in this week’s post.