Curried Fruit Chutney

This is another one of the chutneys and preserves that I’ve made over the past couple of weeks. It’s been a bit like running a production line at times, but it’s the same every year at around this time; September is always a hive of activity whilst the autumnal fruits are widely available and cheap.

There’s something very elemental, almost primal, about having a store of food for the winter months. Yes, I know I don’t have to do this these days; times have changed, we don’t starve any more if we don’t put food away for the winter and I could just go and buy jars of whatever I want from Waitrose, but I can’t buy the sense of satisfaction that goes with it. I love opening the pantry door to find it groaning under the weight of jars.

We’re already enjoying both jams I made in the summer. Mincemeat, plum compote, red onion marmalade and spiced apple butter are all ready to eat, but the spiced apple and apricot chutney, tomato and cranberry relish and this curried fruit chutney will all benefit from some maturing time. Clementine marmalade won’t be made until November when the fruit is reasonably priced in the run-up to Christmas. Phew, I think that’s about it for this year!

This chutney is ridiculously easy and, judging from the taste I had, it’ll make a very good addition to a hot curry on a cold night; I suspect it'll also go down well with a slice or two of cold nut roast or maybe cheese on toast.

250g onions, chopped

750g (prepared weight) fruit - I used apples, plums, rhubarb and apricots

25g garlic

25g fresh root ginger

1 tsp salt

½ tsp cayenne

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

2 tsp curry powder

300g white sugar

300ml cider vinegar

Put the garlic, ginger, cayenne, salt, cumin, coriander and curry powder into a blender with a couple of tablespoons of the measured vinegar and blitz until slushy.

Prepare the fruit, chop into large dice and place in a large wide pan with the onions. Add the garlic and ginger mixture, the sugar and the vinegar. Bring to the boil, stir well and simmer uncovered over a low heat for about 1½ hours until thick.

Pot into sterilised jars whilst still hot and leave to mature for 6 – 8 weeks before eating.

Makes 6 190g jars.

Not Your Typical Veggie...

I bought a vegetarian magazine last week (it shall remain nameless to protect the innocent!) At first glance it was OK, lots of good recipes and, thankfully, no Parmesan but there were several quite gung-ho articles about sustainability, environmental issues and food miles as well as a few campaigns for this and that. It seemed to be assumed that all vegetarians were interested and in favour of these things; there was also a subliminal undertone of worthiness which really grated on me.   

Now, it could be said that I am a very strange person (it has been said before!) and not your typical veggie, but I make no apologies for saying I am not remotely interested in sustainability, environmental issues or food miles. In fact, if anyone starts on about these subjects, my eyes glaze over, my brain shuts down and I get an overwhelming urge to give the speaker/writer a poke in the eye.

I became a veggie because I don’t want to eat animals, no other reason, simple. My decision had nothing to do with where food is shipped from or the alleged effects of climate change; I didn’t consider farming practices or whether farmers get paid enough for their crops by the big supermarkets and I really don’t care about saving the planet because I think the planet will be just fine despite the puny, ineffectual efforts of the human race to destroy it.

When I buy a food magazine I don’t want to pay good money to read other people’s opinions which rarely tally with mine and are usually ill-thought out and simplistic. Rather than follow the diktat of environmentalists, food writers, brainless politicians and others who make a good living from haranguing the gullible, I prefer to think for myself and make up my own mind.

I did think of writing this to the magazine’s letters page but I suspect they’d think I’m some sort of crank for not going along with their party line. Oh, I do realise, by the way, that in reading this you too are reading someone else’s opinion, but at least you haven’t paid for it nor do I expect you to agree with me.

Rant mode off.

Plum, Cinnamon and Orange Compote

This is the compote I served with that gorgeous cheesecake last weekend, but it more usually gets served with my morning porridge.

Oooh, porridge...now there's a word guaranteed to bring a smile to my face; I absolutely love the stuff! I'm a woman of simple tastes; if I had to choose my last meal on Earth, I wouldn't need to think twice. Porridge! It's my everyday breakfast and I really miss it if I don't have it. It's funny really that something so simple, cheap and easy can be so enjoyable.

Sorry....I went off into a little oaty reverie there....now, where was I? Oh yes, compote - this one is an amazing colour and it's so moreish I keep trying to think of other things I can have it with; if you're not a porridge fan (do such people exist?!) I can recommend a couple of spoonfuls with some soya yoghurt and it livens up breakfast pancakes no end. The husband thinks it could be good on top of a steamed sponge pudding and has put in a request for one as soon as the weather turns a bit more autumnal; mind you, given the weather we've has this week, he could be getting that pud sooner than he thinks!

2kg dessert plums
400g white sugar
grated rind and juice of an orange
2 heaped teaspoons cinnamon
100ml water

Cut the plums in half and remove the stones, then cut each half into two pieces or four if they're very large. Put the plums, orange juice, rind and water into a deep wide pan and bring to the boil. Bubble for 15 minutes then add the sugar and cinnamon, stir until the sugar dissolves and bring back to the boil. Cook for another 15 mins until the juices are thickened and syrupy but not quite jam-like. Ladle into hot sterilised jars whilst the compote is still hot.

Because it has less sugar than jam, it's best stored in the fridge once opened.

Makes 4 medium jars

New York Deli Cheesecake

A New York speciality, maybe, but this particular recipe comes via my niece in Sydney; she emailed it to her Mum (my sister) who then made this delectable confection and brought it with her when she came round for lunch on Sunday. It was absolutely stunning; so stunning, in fact, that I’d cut into it and we’d all had a piece before I realised I hadn’t taken a picture of it in its entirety – duh!

Along with being one of the most delicious desserts ever, it's quite possibly one of the most calorific, too! It’s just the sort of thing I can see being banned by the Government because it’s too unhealthy for us. (**Newsflash** for the Food Police: All food is healthy; it’s just that some foods are better eaten in smaller portions….OK?) I wouldn’t suggest making this on a regular basis, but for a special occasion it’s hard to beat.

Don’t let the size of the piece in the picture fool you – this is a cheesecake of prodigious proportions that would easily serve 12-16 people. If you want it a little more manageable, halve the ingredients and cook it in a 20cm tin.

375g digestive biscuits

175g melted unsalted butter

500g cream cheese at room temp

220g caster sugar

3 eggs, separated, at room temp

1 tbsp cornflour sifted

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

500g sour cream at room temp

60ml fresh lemon juice

Heat oven to 150C.

Crush digestives finely and stir in the butter; press the biscuit mixture evenly over the base and sides of a greased 26cm springform tin. Stand tin on a baking tray and refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Beat the cream cheese, 150g of the sugar, egg yolks & cornflour in a large bowl with electric mixer until smooth; add the vanilla paste, sour cream & lemon juice, beat until just combined

Beat the egg whites to soft peak stage; gradually add the remaining sugar, beating well until sugar dissolves. Fold the egg white mixture into the cream cheese mixture with a large balloon whisk.

Spread the filling into the biscuit base and bake the cheesecake for about an hour or until just set. Turn off the oven, and leave the cheesecake in the oven, with the door ajar, until cool – this will help to stop the top cracking. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Dust with icing sugar and serve with a spoonful of fruit compote.

(Recipe for Plum, Cinnamon and Orange Compote to follow)

Tomato and Cranberry Relish

...or Tomato and Cranberry Chutney, if you prefer. I’ve decided to call it a ‘relish’ because it’s very slightly smoother than a chutney.

In terms of cooking, I love this time of year; it’s all about squirreling things away for the winter and having lots of nice bits and pieces to eat when the weather’s crabby and you don’t want to go out.

First off the blocks is a new addition to my preserving repertoire; the tomatoes break down during the long cooking to become really sweet and flavoursome whilst the cranberries give it a festive edge. I think it’ll be perfect for adding to a good chunk of bread and a wedge of Brie, a couple of Not Sausage Rolls or maybe a toasted sandwich (or three!)

Talking of tomatoes, I thought you might like to feast your eyes on some of our home-grown beauties. We’ve had such a good crop this year even though the weather hasn’t been great; I can’t believe we grew these stunners from the spindly little plants we put out in the garden in May.

Some people can see beauty in art, but I think I must be a philistine. However, I can see beauty in a basket of tomatoes…Does that make me weird? Yes... probably! To be honest I think there ought to be a law against anything looking this gorgeous!

150g red onions, thinly sliced

20g butter

1kg ripe tomatoes

25g garlic, peeled

25g root ginger, peeled

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp salt

300g white sugar

300ml red wine vinegar

50g dried cranberries

Cover the tomatoes with boiling water, leave for one minute then peel, remove the cores, and chop roughly.

Put the ginger, garlic, cayenne, salt and a couple of tablespoons of the measured vinegar into a blender and blitz until slushy.

Melt the butter in a large wide pan, add the onions and sauté until softened but not coloured; add the tomatoes, garlic mixture, sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered over a low heat for about two hours, stirring occasionally, until reduced and nicely thick. Add the cranberries for the last 15 minutes of cooking time.

Ladle into hot sterilised jars and leave for 6 – 8 weeks to mature before eating.

(I had a little taste on a spoon and can already tell this is going to be a winner!)

Makes 4 190g jars.

Mincemeat Loaf Cake

I was having a tidy-up in the pantry the other day, trying to make some room for the chutneys that I'll be making over the next few weeks and, given that I shall also be making my Christmas mincemeat soon, I thought I’d better use up the last jar of the 2010 vintage which was lurking on the top shelf. (Good Grief! I just mentioned the ‘C’ word and it’s still only August!!) As a bonus I also found half a bag of pecans that was looking for a good home.

Because I don’t bake very much I don’t have a lot of cake tins and I couldn’t find a single recipe on the net which fitted any of the tins I have. I ended up adjusting a generic ‘Fruit Cake’ recipe, baked it in a loaf tin, and hoped for the best!

It turned out quite well, as it happens. OK, as cakes go, it won’t win any beauty competitions, but I think the flavour of the well-matured mincemeat plus a handful of chopped pecans more than makes up for any deficiencies in the looks department!

125g soft unsalted butter

125g golden caster sugar

3 eggs

225g self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

300g mincemeat

50g chopped pecans

1 tsp of granulated sugar

Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and mix well with an electric mixer. Add the mincemeat and pecans then mix well with a wooden spoon so that you don’t break up the fruit and nuts too much. Turn the mixture into a 2lb loaf tin lined with baking parchment, sprinkle the top with a teaspoonful of sugar and bake at 160C for 1¼ - 1½ hours.

Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight tin.

HFW Sees The Light!

Well, what do you know? Inveterate carnivore Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has had an epiphany; he’s seen the light and discovered the the joy of veg!

I'm sorry to say this, Hugh old son, but you’re a bit late to the party; those of us who can think for ourselves worked out long ago that chopping up animals for food, when there are less cruel and much tastier alternatives available, is a bad idea. What took you so long? Was it anything to do with a book deal, perhaps?

Don't you just love this quote from the article "I would love to persuade you to eat more vegetables." Now, if my memory serves me correctly, wasn't Hugh the bloke who slaughtered an animal on TV to entertain the watching masses... and now he wants me to eat more veg? Do go away, Hugh, there's a good chap; you're starting to get right up my nose. There's no-one quite so annoying as a newly-reformed evangelist preaching to the long-ago converted.

Of course, Hugh just wants to sell his new book and, once he’s made a rather large amount of money from it, he’ll revert to his former carnivorous ways. Then he can write another book extolling the virtues of meat-eating and telling us how desperately he wants us all to eat more of it….

Cynical…? Moi…? Whatever makes you think that?!

(Incidentally, I wouldn't want you to think I make a habit of reading that ridiculous rag, the Guardian; perish the very thought! I wouldn't have known about Hugh's conversion on the road to Damascus had it not been for a comment on a messageboard where I post.)