UK supermarkets have started rationing lettuce. I'm completely serious - it's on BBC News. Apparently the shelves are empty, because bad weather in the south of Europe (they mean Spain I think) has caused crops to fail and shortages to occur. Oh no! How can I even survive without a decent cos or romaine? You can't NOT HAVE fresh lettuce in February!!!
First world disaster, eh? Soon we'll have fights for the last bag of rocket in Waitrose salad aisles. Serves us all right because we have gone so far off eating seasonal produce.
Let's look at some seasonal stuff. Tough - but in February we should eat root veg and cabbages in the north of Europe - that's all there is, seasonally. And I can promise you can do worse than a celeriac fondant for a side, or a remoulade for salad. Cabbage will come into its own too if you treat it right - an absolutely delightful salad, even slightly fermented, or a super-quick stir fry.
What's to go with it? Cheap and tasty meats you bung in the oven and forget about them - like ham hock, so underrated. Lamb will be very mature now but a shank should be mature - season it with anchovy butter for great flavour.
Lentils, mushrooms, spinach - frozen of course - they don't need polytunnels or three-harvests-a-year, so let's have them for supper one night this week. Or roasted chickpeas - tinned ones will do very well, go for organic if you can. Happy seasonal cooking!