Lots of exciting things have been happening in Blog Land. Winter is truly here and that’s not a bad thing as I love winter and everything that comes with it – walks through the woods and then warming yourself as home, wrapping up pressies, writing Christmas cards and lots of baking to be down. Can’t wait to make stain glass sugar cookies this year using my new snowflake cutters! One of my favourite things about all the house time is making chutney. The world outside the window looks like a scene from Sleepy Hollow, fog descending and freezing everything in sight but inside it’s all warm and cosy while things simmer on the stove.
Thought I’d share my favourite chutney recipe with you which I know is a bit random but thought I’d do it anyway. It’s from a Jamie Oliver book and it really has a lot of kick to it. Love it with cheese on toast.
Ingredients
• 8-10 fresh red chillies
• 8 ripe red peppers
• olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, peeled and chopped
a sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• a 5cm piece of cinnamon stick
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g brown sugar
150ml balsamic vinegar
If you want your chutney to last for a while, make sure you have some small sterilized jars ready to go. Place your chillies and peppers in a griddle pan or on a tray under a hot grill, turning them now and then until blackened and blistered all over. Carefully lift the hot peppers and chillies into a bowl (the smaller chillies won’t take as long as the peppers so remove them first) and cover tightly with clingfilm. As they cool down, they’ll cook gently in their own steam. By the time they’re cool enough to handle, you’ll be able to peel the skin off easily.
When you’ve got rid of most of the skin, trimmed off the stalks and scooped out the seeds, you’ll be left with a pile of nice tasty peppers and chillies. Finely chop by hand or put in a food processor and whiz up. Then put to one side.
Heat a saucepan and pour in a splash of olive oil. Add the onions, rosemary, bay leaves and cinnamon and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook very slowly for about 20 minutes or so, until the onions become rich, golden and sticky.
Add the chopped peppers and chillies, the sugar and the vinegar to the onions and keep cooking. When the liquid reduces and you’re left with a lovely thick sticky chutney, season well to taste. Remove the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves. Either spoon into the sterilized jars and put them in a cool dark place, or keep in the fridge and use right away. In sterilized jars, the chutney should keep for a couple of months.
Yum yum yum!
It’s just case now of fitting everything in! I got some more flowers in the other day which have a real Hollywood glam feel to them and getting ready to stock a stall at a few craft fairs coming up. I have a few ideas for vintage jewellery at the moment so watch this space. It seems so crazy that an idea of wanting to make a few pinnies for Christmas has turned into this. I am very excited to do the first craft market with Shara in Hitchin in a couple of weeks, I’ll feel like a real trader and it will be great experience. I’d love to wear one of my favourite vintage dresses on the day but last time it was so cold, my coat covered up every last bit of me. I have invested in those hand warmers that you get from outdoorsy shops, think we’ll need them!
I'll add more photos when I have them!
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