8 THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH MAKE CORNWALL PROUD

The Good Food Team shares their kitchen to-do list, plus Emma Crawforth of BBC Gardeners’ World on what to plant

1 COOK WITH... RHUBARB

The Rhubarb Triangle in Yorkshire first began ‘forcing’ this delightful crop towards the end of the 19th century. That means growing the rhubarb in dark, heated sheds, encouraging it to grow quickly and find light. The result is a much softer and sweeter variety that takes you into early spring with a bright pop of colour and flavour. See our rhubarb recipes at bbcgoodfood.com/ rhubarb-recipes

2

USE YOUR LOAF BAKE BREAD

Participate in Real Bread Week (19-27 February) by baking your own loaf and encouraging others to do the same. In this context, ‘real’ means using all-natural ingredients with no additives. If you’re new to baking bread, watch our easy-to-follow video guide at bbcgoodfood. com/how-make-bread-video.

3

START AGAIN SPEND TIME IN THE KITCHEN

It’s easy to get bogged down in general life admin and forget about any new year’s resolutions you made in January. Rather than feel guilty about this, recommit to the promises you made for yourself and take time out to relax – the kitchen is a great place to feel more centred. Of course, you’ll find plenty of recipe inspiration at bbcgoodfood.com, but we also have great ideas for living more sustainably, including shopping and cooking with less waste in mind at bbcgoodfood.com/sustainability.

4 PICK UP A PASTY

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the World Cornish Pasty Championships, which take place annually at the Eden Project on the Saturday before St Piran’s Day (Cornwall’s national day, 5 March). The competition is held at the end of Cornish Pasty Week, which begins on 27 February. Celebrate in style by buying in a feast of these classic bakes, or try baking your own. Try our top-rated recipe at bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/perfect-pasties.

5 VALENTINE’S DAY CHEESY ROMANCE

If you’re planning a night in this Valentine’s Day, how about an evening of wine and cheese in place of the obvious candlelit dinner? Try pairing a mild merlot with an equally smooth nutty cheese like swiss or gruyère. Or a full-bodied shiraz with a strong mature cheddar. You can also load the cheeseboard with homemade chutneys, figs and grapes. If you want to expand your knowledge and really impress, sign up for our cheese masterclass: bbcgoodfood.com/ bbc-good-food-masterclass-online-cheese

6 MAKE A SHOPPING LIST CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR

Welcome in the year of the tiger on 1 February and find inspiration at bbcgoodfood.com/chinese-new-year-recipes.

• Soy sauce In Chinese cooking there are two types of soy sauce, light and dark. As a general rule, light is used to add salty seasoning and dark is used to give dishes a darker colour and caramelised flavour. If you don’t want to buy both, Japanese soy sauce may not be authentic but is a happy medium between both. As well as using it in Chinese cookery, soy sauce makes an incredible gravy booster.

• Oyster sauce This glossy sauce adds sheen and tons of savouriness to dishes and though it’s made using ‘oyster extract’ – it works with chicken and beef dishes as well as (sparingly) tossed through steamed greens.

• Crispy chilli oil also known as chiu chow chilli oil adds a spicy kick to stir-fries, broths or noodle dishes, whether used as a condiment or ingredient.

• Shaohsing wine The flavour of this rice-based wine is similar to dry sherry and adds body to a stir-fry. Splash into a wok at the last moment or use to marinate meat.

7

IN THE GARDEN WHAT TO DO OUTDOORS

• Make sure your veg plots are now weed-free, ready for spring sowing

• Try forcing an earlier strawberry crop by warming the plants now using cloches

• Plant fruit trees and bushes – good-value bare-root plants are still available in nurseries and garden centres

• Sow greenhouse tomatoes, lettuce, brussels sprouts, peas and leeks under cover to protect from frost

• Plant rhubarb too, and ‘force’ it (as described in the first point, left) by completely excluding light from the plant to get very tender new shoots

• Finish chitting early potatoes – in other words, placing them in a light place so they can start sprouting

8 DISCOVER BROWN BUTTER

GIVE PANCAKES A LIFT

Brown butter, or beurre noisette, can elevate your pancakes this Shrove Tuesday (1 March). Simply melt butter over a medium heat until it turns foamy, brown and smells nutty. Drip some into the pancake batter to enrich it and impart flavour. Or simply melt set brown butter over pancakes. It keeps in the fridge for as long as normal butter.