What the heck is Chutney? It’s a thick delicious sauce that is made from fruits, vinegar, sugar, and spices. John Sandberg from Path Back Farms at the Carleton Place Farmer’s Market makes a killer Chutney that people come all over for. What can you do with Chutney?
The Party Spread
Chutney plus cream cheese is a yummy combination. There are two ways to serve it: 1. Place a block of cream cheese on a plate and spoon the chutney of your choice over it.
Serve with crackers and a small spreading knife. 2. Pulse the cream cheese and chutney together in a food processor or blender. If it seems too thick, add a splash of milk. For a lower fat but equally tasty version, you can make this chutney spread using labneh (yogurt cheese).
3. The Sandwich Booster
Mix equal parts chutney and mayonnaise together. Spread on bread and add the main sandwich ingredient of your choice (chutney goes especially well with ham and with cheese).
4. With Grilled Cheese
You can make this combination either as an open-face sandwich or on crackers as an hors d’oeuvres. If making the open-face sandwich, lightly toast the bread first. Spread a layer of chutney on the toast or on crackers. Top with thin slices of cheese. A tangy cheese such as a sharp cheddar is a good choice. Broil the sandwich or crackers just until the cheese melts and starts to bubble. Serve hot.
5. With Lamb and Game Meats
Chutney pairs beautifully with the rich flavors of venison and lamb as well as duck and other richly flavored meats.Just serve a little on the side of the roasted meat or poultry, or if you prefer, spread a little of the chutney over the meat just before serving.
6. Tempura Dipping Sauce
Combine a tablespoon of chutney with 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon mirin or other sweet white wine, and 1/4 cup chicken, fish or vegetable stock. Serve hot with tempura. You can either just mix the ingredients and heat them in a small saucepan for slightly chunky sauce, or first puree the ingredients in a blender before heating them.
7. Almost Instant Homemade Ketchup
If you compare the ingredients of ketchup to chutney you’ll notice that they have a lot in common: vinegar, sugar, spices, and fruit or veggies (you know that ketchup doesn’t have to be made out of tomatoes, right?). In fact, the only difference is that chutney is chunky and ketchup is smooth. So go ahead and puree your green tomato chutney, for example, and now you’ve got green tomato ketchup.
8. Glaze That
Puree chutney in a food processor. Dilute the resulting paste slightly with water. Use to glaze meats and poultry for roasting.
9. Chutney Dip
Combine equal parts chutney and salsa with a handful of fresh cilantro (coriander) or parsley in a blender or food processor. Pulse a few times – you don’t want it to be totally smooth, but rather to still have some texture. Adjust salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.
10. With Roasted Sweet Potatoes or Winter Squash
Preheat the oven to 400F/204C. Peel and seed the winter squash or scrub the sweet potatoes clean (no need to peel them). Chop the potatoes or squash into 1-inch chunks. Spread a sheet of parchment paper in a roasting pan. In a large bowl, combine the veggies with chutney, using about 1/4-cup chutney per 2 pounds of vegetables. Transfer to the roasting pan and spread into an even layer. Roast until the sweet potatoes or squash are tender, about 30 – 40 minutes.
But wait… that’s nut all folks! John has Elderberry Syrup and fresh in season rhubarb, BBQ sauce, and a slew of other things. How many pickled peppers can you eat?
Mrs. Walter’s Rhubarb Cake
l cup sugar
l/2 cup butter
l egg
l t. baking powder
l t. soda
2 cups chopped rhubarb
l/2 cup sour milk
2 cups flour
Topping:
l cup brown sugar
l cup coconut/ optional/ Mike doesn’t like coconut.
l t. cinnamon
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
I usually make this as a coffee cake; although it can be made as a loaf cake, with less topping. This is from a Collection, One of a Kind! December, 1993. This was around the same time Marion White published a book of profiles of Newfoundland Women, most well known. This inspired writing about women I admired, most of whom would never be known outside the kitchen walls. Mrs. Walters was 78 or 80 at the time. For full story, see Website.
Go Anywhere Rhubarb Bars (from Joyce Hansen)
COOKIE CRUST
l c all purpose flour
l/3 c confectioners sugar
l/3 c butter or margarine
FILLING
l c sugar
l/4 c all purpose flour
2 eggs beaten
l t vanilla extract
3 c finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
Combine ingredients for crust and press into bottom of ll” x 7″ baking
pan. Bake this for l2 min. at 350 degrees. Combine first four of
filling ingredients and add rhubarb. Pour over warm crust. Bake at 350
for 35-40 min. Test with wooden toothpick. Insert in center of baked
bars to see if it comes out clean. Cool on rack.
Carleton Place Farmer’s Market
830 am to 1230 am
lindaseccaspina 