'Tis Autumn time, a time for making...

Quince & Green Tomato Chutney. Take a head of garlic chopped, and sweated enough oil in a large enough pan on a low heat. Add and stir in heap of crushed dried red chillies, ginger, large heap of crushed green cardamons, cinnamon, lots of ground cumin seeds, similarly with smaller amounts of coriander and fenugreek, black pepper seeds, and finally some turmeric, Then chop in around 2lbs of green tomatoes and 2lb of quice, apples or whatever. Keep stirring as you go. Not too much oil, but if it looks dry add a touch more as you go. Add a 1/4 pint of vinegar. The pan should be bubbling. Add a range of dried fruit - sultanas, chopped dates, raisins. Add 2-3 oz sugar and a dollop of salt. Bubble slowly for around 1-2 hours. Seal into jam jars etc.

The actual recipe depends upon what you have in the cupboard and what you sharp fruit you can obtan cheaply. I think a recipe is something unique, something that should be created from one's environment. My tomatoes came from my loving parents and the fruit came from Cutteslowe Park (http://www.visitoxford.org/oxford/leisurelist.nsf/0/5209cb7db913c54280256a22003935ba?OpenDocument) next our flat, collected by my colleague Nick from windfalls etc.

Getting the recipe right is getting a balance between sharp and sweetness, between flavour and body. This means balancing cardamons, sugar and cinnamon with chillies, tart apples or quinces. Just check the taste as the pot bubbles and correct to your own taste - my taste always tends to the fiery side of life. Do remember that a chutney like this matures beatufully over months, and hopefully year - if you can make a big enough batch!

posted by Andy Swarbrick/PopG at 10:38