Forces of nature

One of the best things about February is the arrival of fresh homegrown rhubarb in local shops. I make no apologies if that sounds a little over the top. You see, for me, stewed rhubarb and custard is one of the highlights of the culinary calendar.

Early rhubarb is a traditional Yorkshire speciality. The crop is grown undercover, protected from the winter elements in dark and eerie candle-lit sheds where it is forced into growth.

Rhubarb is a vegetable which is prepared as a fruit. Another fascinating fact about rhubarb is that you should only eat the stems, because the leaves are poisonous.

Early rhubarb has pale pink stems that are full of flavour. Look for long stems that are nice and firm. Fresh rhubarb is full of water and should crunch when cut. Only add a little extra water when stewing rhubarb and plenty of sugar.

My final tip is to add some freshly-ground black pepper to stewed rhubarb. It may sound odd, but it really brings out the flavour.

Next up this month is Savoy cabbage. The winter months see the harvesting of many varieties of cabbage, including the Savoy. Unfortunately, childhood memories of school dinners and soggy overcooked cabbage put a lot of people off this tasty, healthy and versatile veg.

Cabbage is a great all-rounder. It is packed with vitamins and minerals and is very low in calories. It can be eaten raw in salads, cooked or preserved as a pickle.

Most people just boil cabbage to oblivion, which removes all the flavour and goodness. It is far better to cook it briefly by stir-frying or steaming.

Savoy cabbage is easy to cook and makes a good accompaniment to a proper roast dinner. Start by frying some diced bacon in olive oil. Chop the cabbage leaves into strips and add to the pan. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then season with black pepper and serve.

They say that mussels are in season if there's an 'r' in the month. What this really means is that you shouldn't go hunting for mussels in warm weather. Farmed fresh mussels are widely available at this time of year from local fishmongers and supermarkets. Native UK mussels have blue black shells and are farmed from cool Scottish and Welsh waters.

Mussels are quick and easy to cook but you need to store and prepare them properly. Only store mussels for a couple of days after purchase. Rinse well and put them in the fridge in a container covered with clingfilm.

Fresh live mussels have closed shells. If a shell is open, tap it gently on a hard surface. If it doesn't close, throw it away. Also discard any mussels with broken shells.

The simplest way to cook mussels is to start by frying off some diced onion and garlic in a little olive oil.

Add the mussels and a glass of white wine. Simmer gently for a couple of minutes until the shells open. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve, or for an extra treat add butter and cream to the pan to make a rich sauce. Fab!

Staying with seafood, finally for this month is halibut, a massive flat fish that can grow up to four metres in length.

Halibut is a white fish that is widely sold in small steaks. It is best pan-fried in olive oil or poached in white wine. Halibut is abundant at this time of year and fairly inexpensive, so it is well worth a try.

James Lowe's recipes for February

Seafood and spaghetti parcel

(Serves 2 as a starter)

4oz spaghetti, cooked

3oz leaf spinach

5oz fresh mussels

Zest of 1 lemon

Half glass white wine

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Chopped fresh parsley

Method:

- Put the cooked spaghetti and olive oil in the centre of a large piece of tin foil about A3 size.

- Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest.

- Gently mix in the spinach and place the mussels on top of the mixture.

- Fold the tin foil to form a parcel, almost like a Cornish pasty. Make sure the edges are folded over tightly, but leave one corner open.

- Pour in the white wine and seal the corner.

- Place the parcel on a baking tray on the top shelf of a pre-heated oven (gas mark 8/230C) for five minutes.

- Open the parcel and serve.

James says: "A quick and tasty treat. Perfect if you're out to impress."

Halibut stew

(Serves 2)

2 halibut steaks

4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped

1 onion, diced

Half a Savoy cabbage, cut into 1inch chunks

1 pint chicken stock

Handful of oyster mushrooms, chopped

Salt and pepper

Chopped fresh parsley and thyme

Olive oil

Method:

- In a heavy-bottomed pan, fry the onion in olive oil until clear.

- Add the bacon, mushrooms and cabbage and stir-fry gently.

- Place the halibut steaks on top of the mixture and add the stock until it reaches the bottom of the fish.

- Season and add the chopped herbs.

- Cover the pan and simmer gently for about six minutes.

- Carefully transfer the fish to serving plates and spoon over the stew. Serve with buttered new potatoes and crusty bread.

James says: "An easy stew that makes a real winter warmer."

Crunchy rhubarb crumble

(Serves 4)

2lb rhubarb, chopped into 1inch chunks

4oz sugar

Freshly-ground black pepper

For the topping:-

4oz flaked almonds

8oz self raising flour

4oz cold butter

4oz demerara sugar

Half teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:

- Place the rhubarb and sugar in a pan with two tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes just until it starts to go soft. Place the stewed rhubarb in an ovenproof dish and add a little freshly-ground black pepper.

- To make the crumble topping, sieve the flour into a bowl and mix in the sugar.

- Cut the butter into small cubes and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Mix in the flaked almonds.

- Put the crumble mix on top of the stewed rhubarb. Place in a pre-heated oven (gas mark 5/190C) for 20 minutes until golden.

- Serve with custard.

James says: "A tasty rhubarb crumble with a crunchy almond topping. Simply the best."

- James is the chef at Villa Italia, 69 Micklegate, York. Tel: (01904) 670501

Updated: 08:21 Saturday, February 14, 2004