Sunday, July 20, 2014

Two Tomato Chutney for a Summery #SundaySupper

Nothing screams Summer to me more than the first, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes from our backyard garden. There's something divinely sweet about their juicy, sun-warmed flesh that is unlike anything you can buy, and that candy-like intensity is even greater after roasting in the oven, dehydrating or even the briefest exposure to heat via a hot saute pan or fresh from the pot pasta. During the season, I try to eat the bulk of our garden's bounty fresh (can you really pass up freshly sliced, perfect tomatoes on garlic toast?), but with upwards of 12 plants at the moment all producing fruit in bulk, not even my dehydrator can keep up with the volume regularly.

To cope with the remaining produce each year, I turn to preserving. Not simply tomato sauce and roasted tomatoes (as delicious as those are), but variations on popular condiments like ketchup and chutneys like this. Over the years, I've become known for my various chutney configurations, from watermelon rind, rhubarb and Moroccan-inspired to tart green tomato and apple mixtures. It's ironic to me, since I have never been a fan of the topping in any form - mostly due to the fact that it generally contains vegetables and fruit together, which I can't get my palate to accept. My family, on the other hand, adores the stuff, and my mom in particular will hoard a jar to herself just for use in  lunches and solo dinners.

When BBQ season lights up the backyard grill (and depending on who's manning it, the backyard in general via a lighter fluid-fed fireball) a jar or two will emerge from the fridge along with the pickled hot peppers, ketchup, mustard, relish and salsa, waiting to be chosen as a complement to my stepbrother's hamburgers or the ever-so-slightly charred steak. Meals of leftovers, often repurposed into stir-fries with extra veggies and sticky rice or brown rice vermicelli, get lashings of the sweet and spicy mixture at the table in lieu of hot or soy sauces, and even mid-Winter a freshly opened jar hearkens memories of garden plots past when its contents are dolloped onto roasted vegetables and grilled chicken.

Two - Tomato Chutney

In this particular medley, I combined both fresh and homemade dried tomatoes with sharp onions, garlic and ginger, spicy curry and pepper flakes and sweet dried fruit and honey. Cooked down into a thick, luscious mixture and allowed to "mature" for a few days (either canned or in the fridge), the family deemed it perfect for year round eats, especially afternoon BBQs with the family where everything from burgers to pizza, fish, vegetables and even tofu are fair game! 

This #SundaySupper Jennie of The Messy Baker and Melanie of Melanie Makes are hosting a Summer BBQ Party. Check out all the great seasonal eats below and stop by the Twitter party tonight at 7PM!

Beverages

Appetizers

Sides and Accompaniments

Main Dishes

Desserts
Sunday Supper Movement 
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Two Tomato Chutney
Makes 4 cups, 32 (2-tbsp) servings
3 medium tomatoes, halved
1 small white onion, chopped
¾ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup chopped dried apple
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp honey (or agave for strict vegans)
⅓ cup water
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp curry powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp dried red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until thick. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  3. Adjust seasoning to taste and spoon into hot sterilized jars.
  4. Process for 10 minutes in a waterbath and allow to cool, undisturbed, on a wire rack.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 21.2
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 29.5 mg
Total Carbs: 5.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g
Protein: 0.4 g

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