February in Gozo

Malta

It’s still cold in February, but with slightly warmer temperatures and more spring like breezes, it is however the final month of the season and with that comes inklings of spring time.

Brussel Sprouts Not just for Christmas… and it wasn’t so long ago that these weren’t really my favourite vegetables, forced to eat them at Christmas, when my grandmother would boil them for 3 days before serving them with the Christmas dinner, but when I was introduced to sautéing them in butter, bacon and sage it was a revelation, the texture, flavour and bitterness were an education, never boiled them since.

They generally appear in the markets from October till early April and grow in individual stalks. It is a true autumn and winter staple. Like most brasicas the top leaves are probably amongst some of the most nutritious green leaves you can eat… so don’t waste them.

Clementine Without doubt my favourite winter snack, the smallest and probably sweetest member of the Mandarin family, it is sweet and tangy, mostly seedless and shrouded in a loose, baggy bright orange skin. The zest makes the most delicious candied fruit, which is a great way to preserve and extend the fruit as well as having a million uses..

Beetroot, Pitravi in Maltese The Beetroot is obviously the root portion of a beet plant, whilst our American friends simply call them beets we generally refer to them as beetroot, it has an impressive medical resume especially on the nutrient per calorie ratio, it’s good for your blood pressure, it supposedly improves your athletic performance, possibly fights inflammation and improves brain health… blimey why wouldn’t you eat it?

On top of all that it’s delicious a myriad of ways, but i prefer it roasted in tinfoil with a little butter salt and pepper, served with sour cream and maybe some pickled fish!

The Atlantic bonito or in Maltese the Plamtu, is a large mackerel-like fish. It is common in shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. They are generally silver with an almost blue dorsal fin and have black stripes along the top of their body. Often confused with white Tuna and in some cultures where it’s prevalent, it’s not actually eaten at all. However, if cooked properly and not overcooked, this fish, like most oily fish, is delicious, my grandmother used to smother it in a tomato sauce after pan frying it. It has a rather high natural Zinc content which makes it particularly good for your immune system … and it’s very economical!

“This species is very widespread, abundant in many areas it inhabits and very fast growing. It has been targeted in both commercial and recreational fisheries for a long time but has shown no evident population declines. Fish for tomorrow recommends the Atlantic bonito.”

https://www.fishfortomorrow.com/quickfish/atlantic-bonito

Meat By now, most people realize that food is seasonal, even if they are not quite sure of the specifics they certainly have an idea as to why a tomato tastes it’s best in high summer or an apple is at its peak in the autumn, but most people don’t realize that it’s no different for meat.

Turkey is coming to it’s final throes in February. It had a decent run since Christmas and the old adage “Four legs good, two legs bad” is mostly still good. There are a few fowl at their prime come winter… and Turkey is one of them.

Pork It’s easy to think that pork is an all year round meat, but in days gone by, it was traditionally killed in the winter months when it was at its fattiest and distributed throughout the community. This is still done in many parts of Europe and celebrated as a feast. We filmed a show with Keith Floyd about this in the Czech Republic, just outside Prague, where they chased the unsuspecting Porcine throughout the village with a ribbon tied to its tail and then ceremoniously dispatched it, whilst every part of the pig was used up in some way or another. From Blood Sausages, to Braised Faggots.. and even Sautéd Brains… all delicious and respected throughout the process. The whole village benefited as Hams, Sausages, Cooked Meats and even Blood Soup was distributed in some way.

So in the days before refrigeration, modern distribution and mass farming methods were introduced. Meat seasonality not only had a purpose, but also was respected as the best time in which to kill and eat an animal.