Green tomato chutney recipe
A couple of days ago I discovered that our Red Brandywine tomato plants in the front garden were showing all the early signs of blight. They were ripped out immediately before the blight could spread to the other plants and I was left with 3 kilos (over 6 1/2 pounds) of giant green tomatoes. I’ve been meaning to develop a recipe for green tomato chutney for ages and this was the final kick up the butt to actually do something about it. I repaired to bed with the trusty Min Pins and submerged myself in a green tomato chutney recipe shaped...
read moreSweet mango and apricot chutney recipe
Making homemade mango chutney can be expensive unless you live in a country where mangoes grow, . We sell a lot of it on the gate side stand and it sells for 50% more than most of the other jars. I found some mangos in the market before Christmas – they were rock hard but gradually ripened on a sunny windowsill. By adding apricots I padded out the mangoes and the result is a great fruity chutney with just a bit of kick. This version of the recipe needs much more vinegar so that the dried apricots can swell. It’s a tasty and much more...
read moreDuncan’s pickled nasturtium seeds recipe (UK capers)
Have you ever tasted nasturtium seeds? They’re nutty and peppery. I knew that they could be pickled to make an English version of the continental caper but I’ve never found a recipe when the seeds are green and perfect for pickling. So I was delighted when Duncan, a reader and contributor to the Cottage Smallholder site, sent me his recipe. He had already road tested it. “I sampled my first batch yesterday and wow they are good. I have got the next batch in brine as I type. As it was a success and it is a good free alternative to...
read moreMy best easy recipe for delicious Mango Chutney
Growing up there were a handful of meals that I really liked my mum to cook. One of these was curry. Back in those days curry powder was the norm, with the remains of the Sunday roast diced into the mix. I loved the exotic colour of the sauce but it was the way that she served each plate that intrigued me. Curry on a bed of rice in the middle of the plate and around the edge of loads of little piles of things too cool the curry down. Thinly sliced banana jostled with desiccated coconut, dried fruit, sliced cucumbers, diced onion and glorious...
read moreSecret ingredients: Pickled Walnuts Grand Challenge 2010
Although I left Magic Cochin’s house in January clutching the trophy silver pickle fork, they were just being kind. The Cochinery had produced wonderful pickled walnuts. The vintage 2005 were to die for and all smugness ceased as I divd into the 2008 Cochinery jar. My pickled walnuts didn’t even reach the starting stalls. “So why have I been awarded the trophy fork?” “The trophy fork holder hosts next year’s event.” Admittedly this was our first year of making pickled walnuts but I reckoned that I was in with a chance. I‘d...
read moreThe Pickled Walnuts project: stage two. Plus original recipes for spiced pickling vinegar
Good pickled walnuts are a wonderful accompaniment to strong cheese or cold meat. They are an English tradition. Often they are made with malt vinegar and can be very challenging to eat. This year I was determined to try to make the ultimate pickled walnut. Part one of the challenge can be perused here. After the two week saline soak (changing the solution after one week) I rinsed the walnuts and moved them down to the greenhouse to dry. This can take from 3-5 days. They turn a greyish black quite quickly. Not knowing how black the walnuts...
read moreThe Pickled Walnuts project. Stage one.
“What on earth are you doing, Fiona?” I was sitting on the floor on a large plastic sheet, wearing rubber gloves and stabbing green walnuts on an old bread board with a carving fork. No wonder Tessa was intrigued. I’ve been desperate to get my hands on some green walnuts for years. About 10 days ago I spotted some on a friend’s tree. It was just at the end of the picking green walnuts season. “Take all you like but hurry or they’ll be too hard to pickle.” She picked one and sliced it firmly with a...
read moreGuest spot: Quick Banana Chutney recipe for Christmas and beyond by Kate(uk)
“Fiona, would you be interested in a recipe for banana chutney? It sounds odd, but I can assure you that it is the very, very best chutney with cold turkey and if made this week will be ready for use on boxing day. As long as it is kept secret or you will find family members standing with empty jar in one hand, dessert spoon in the other and a guilty look on their faces” “Yes please.” Just reading her email made me desperate to get my hands on the recipe. A superb chutney that only takes 10 days to mature. This would be...
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