What's For Dinner?Green Tomato Chutney(yields four pints) Unsure how to make use of those green tomatoes in your garden now that the season is ending? That was listener Nora Rubinstein's dilemma last year when she contacted me with her query. Fortunately, I had just enjoyed a batch of this fantastic chutney prepared by my friend Tim Streeter, who kindly passed along his recipe. Nora was particularly pleased with it because she also had lots of apples to spare. Apparently, her results were equally outstanding, so I'm taking a crack at it this year. The Spice Bag
2. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and onions and place them in a large nonreactive stock pot. Peel, core, and coarsely chop the apples and add them with the salt to the tomatoes and onions. Heat the mixture over a medium flame until the juices begin to boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, for 20 minutes, until the mixture becomes a mush. 3. Stir in the vinegar, lemon zest and juice, brown sugar, raisins, and spice bag. Continue stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Then simmer for another 30 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the chutney has thickened. 4. Remove the spice bag. Stir in the mustard seeds and jalapeno, if using. 5. Begin canning immediately. The chutney will be ready, with all its flavors blended, in about a month. Tips * To crumble the cinnamon sticks, simply press down on them with the heel of your palm. * I use a Microplane grater to zest the lemons right over the stock pot before juicing them. * If you've never canned before, you'll want to consult a good reference, such as the USDA's Complete Guide to Home Canning, which is available online. The Cornell Cooperative Extension also has a useful downloadable pamphlet, Food for Health: Canning Fruits, Tomatoes, and Vegetables.
If you have tried one of these recipes and have an improvement or tip or variation to suggest, please e-mail David at dinner@wamc.org. Also feel free to send along your own family cuisine recipes. You can even request dishes that you'd like David to present in the future. David Rubel is president of Agincourt Press, a book production company in Chatham, New York. He spends his days writing American history, then heads home after work to cook for his wife and two young children. His most recent book is The Story of America (DK, 2002). |
