The Green Bean Summer

09/04/2017 by Laura Leave a Comment

I planted my green beans a little later then normal this year. Typically that would have been a problem here in Seattle. Since we have had ridiculously hot weather, their late start has had no impact on the crop and harvest. As I was cooking up this batch of beans, I became very melancholy. No other food has been such a constant in my life. I grow the Royal Burgundy variety of beans, because that is what my grandparents grew. I think Granddad started growing them when we were kids, to thrill us by their novel change in color when they are cooked. Growing up, green beans were the only vegetable my brother would eat. When they were out of season, Mom resorted to canned (yuck) green beans. Canned or fresh, my Mom and Grandma would add bacon, and simmer them on the stove FOR HOURS, as was the norm back then. There was never a doubt as to what the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or Sunday dinner vegetable would be. Once my brother had kids, the tradition continued in his own family. I think there was a streak of about 10 years, when little smokies had to be added to the pot, per my youngest nephews instruction! My nephews, now adults, specifically ask if we can have something besides green beans when they are invited to dinner at Grandma’s or Auntie’s house!

My first summer after college, my parents moved from Idaho Falls, ID to Washington DC. I needed a break and an adventure, and my Mom needed help driving across the country, so I too packed up for the move. Prior to hitting the road, we spent about a week at my Grandfather’s house. Since it was summer, the green beans were plentiful. I think we had them three or four times, all picked fresh and simmered for hours. On the road heading east toward I-70, our first night was in a little town somewhere in Montana. We had dinner in a little diner, close to our motel. When we asked what the vegetable of the day was, you obviously guessed, it was fresh green beans. Too tired after 9 hours of driving to think about, we ate quietly. This continued across the country, for 7 more nights. I’ll never forget Mom and I having dinner at the hotel in St. Joseph, Missouri, the 5th night on the road. The waitress was very perky as she related the specials of the day, and was extra excited to inform us they had fresh green beans. I actually screamed out loud, which lead to my Mom laughing so hard she launched her ice tea across the table. The poor waitress could not figure out what she had done. Once we calmed down, we explained our 5 day green bean odyssey. We watched as she went from table to table, telling our story. Bursts of polite laughter rolled through the restaurant, like the wave at a football game.

I learned to prepare green beans a little bit differently, while working in a restaurant. Did you know, a lot of vegetables are cooked with dry vermouth and often a spoonful of baking soda? The baking soda does help retain the bright color in most veggie’s, but it also adds a whollop of sodium. Therefore, I forgo this trick, unless I need a really special photo!

Laura’s Green Beans

1 sweet onion, such as Maui or Walla Walla, diced

3-4 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup dry vermouth

1 lb. fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, and strings removed

salt and pepper

optional – fresh dill

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, that you can cover with a lid. Sauté the onion until soft. Add the green beans and continue to sauté about 5 minutes. Pour in the vermouth, cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and fresh dill, if using!

Thanks for stopping by.

I hope your summer was memorable and you have a great evening.

Laura

Farmers Market Treasures – Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Spring Pea Salad

07/05/2017 by Laura 3 Comments

Wow…4 months since my last post! I’ll catch you up on the reasons for that, but first I have a couple recipes for you! Both of these dishes are the result of an over-the-top buying spree at last weeks neighborhood farmers market. It was my first outing of the season and everything was calling my name! The perfect weather, the beautiful fruits and vegetables, plenty of cash, and a longing to get back into my kitchen resulted in two very large bags of goodies. I bought far more then we needed for one week. With a few things approaching the end of their usefulness, I got busy to ensure none of it would go to waste! The results were a fantastic Strawberry-Rhubarb pie and an over the top “spring on a plate” pea salad.

The salad is a result of a Google search based on the unused veggies I had bought…shelling peas, pea pods, and ramps. I had asparagus on hand, as I always have asparagus on hand until it disappears from the market or becomes ridiculously expensive. I found this recipe on the Serious Eats website. I made just a couple alterations, and it was fantastic. I felt like it was something that would be a first course in a fancy French restaurant… ooh la la!

For the Vinaigrette:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons juice from 1 or 2 lemons

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley leaves

1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (my addition)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the ingredients together and set aside. I always make my dressing in a measuring cup to make it easy to pour.

For the Salad

1 cup fresh shelled English peas

2 cups fresh sugar snap peas, strings removed, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces on the bias

1 pound asparagus, stalks trimmed, tips removed, tips and stalks reserved separately

2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 to 12 whole ramps, ends trimmed and cleaned

1 large very fresh egg, per serving

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Place a pot of water on the stove. Salt heavily. Bring to a slow simmer. Blanch the shelled peas, then the snap peas and then the asparagus tips, about 1 minute, until bright green. Remove with a slotted spoon. Dip in an ice water bath. Place each vegetable in a small bowl and pop in the fridge.

Blanch the asparagus stalks until tender and place in a blender cup with a couple tablespoons of the blanching water and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the ramps. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy sauté pan. Saute the ramps until tender. Place on a paper towel line plate. Set aside.

When ready to assemble the salads, bring the pot of water back to a slow simmer. Add 3 tablespoons white vinegar.

Combine the peas and asparagus in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss gently.

Make your poached eggs, one per serving. Place a couple tablespoons of the asparagus puree on each serving plate. Top with the pea and asparagus salad mixture. Place the poached egg on top. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately!

Ok, now for the pie! Strawberry – Rhubarb. Not typically my first choice, when I think of a pie I want to eat / make. I honestly have a problem with most fruit pies as they always turn out to be thin, watery, runny, too sweet, too sour, fall apart messes on a plate. I decided to try a different approach this time. I roasted the fruit first. This allowed me to taste the fruit and adjust the sweetness, as well as remove some of the extra juice, prior to filling the pie shell. I will be using this technique for all future fruit pies.

For the Strawberry – Rhubarb Pie

Prepare pie crust for 2 crust pie – make your favorite or check mine out here.

4-5 cups fresh, ripe, strawberries – green part removed – sliced in half if they are large

4-5 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped into small, bite size pieces

3/4 cup of sugar

Place the fruit on a sheet pan, sprinkle with the sugar and roast at 375′ for about 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven. Let rest about 10 minutes. Adjust the sweetness to taste. Add:

4 Tablespoons of flour

2 Tablespoons of quick cook tapioca

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

finely grated zest of one lemon

juice of one lemon – about 2 tablespoons

Mix all ingredients together in the roasting pan. Spoon into piecrust with a slotted spoon.

Place the top crust on the pie. Pinch the edges and cut steam vents. Place on a sheet pan. Place a foil collar around the edges of the pan. Bake at 425′ for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375′, remove the foil, and bake 30 more minutes. Let pie cool at least 2 hours before serving. You definitely want to serve this with vanilla ice-cream! Enjoy!

Ok – on to the updates…In my last post, I mentioned I retired. What that has meant for me is working harder then I ever have, without a pay check every other Friday. LOL!!! I have been away from home, more then I have been at home, these past few months. Thankfully, it’s not that much different for Dave, then when I was working full time! He’s always been spectacular at fending for himself and holding down the fort.

The work began when my Mom bought a new house. She no longer needed stairs, 3000 square feet and a quarter acre yard! She bought the new house last fall, but we really didn’t get busy moving her to her new place until April. Mom updated 80% of her new place, which took a lot of time, decisions and work. Dave and I helped out by repairing decks and fences, and assembling cabinets and other things. Her new home has turned out to be a wonderful place for her.

Her move left us with the BIG job. Emptying and selling her old house. We spent the past few months sorting, packing, selling, donating, dumping, laughing, crying, screaming, and yelling our way through about 25 years of stuff! For those of you that have been through this, you know what I’m talking about! For those of you that have not…my advice would be to START NOW! I am so thankful I was able to go through family things WITH my Mom. I know what all the stuff is, who the people in the pictures are and what mattered to she and my Dad. I am still selling things on Ebay and I have a lot of pictures to scan, but the hard work is behind us. I am happy to say that her house sold in 8 days. She has a few things planned for fall, and none of those plans include yard sales or moving! For those of you that don’t know, my Mom is 88 years old! She is absolutely amazing. We worked side by side, hours on end, with her frequently ordering me to “sit down and rest”. We should all be so healthy and spunky!

With Mom’s big project behind me, I can start to sort out what retirement really does mean for me. You can see from the above, I am really happy to be able to wrap my head around cooking and photography again. Dave and I are taking our own advice of “starting now” on sorting, selling things and downsizing. Bit by bit, we are getting rid of the unnecessary things we’ve accumulated…just because we could! It’s amazing to me how quickly stuff accumulates, and how little of it we really “need”.

It’s been great catching up. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the food and have a wonderful evening.

Laura

Strawberry Rhubarb Shortbread Bars

05/31/2015 by Laura 2 Comments

This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. Amma is here in the Pacific Northwest as part of her summer tour. For many years, my dear friends Andrea, Sharon and Andrea’s son Jack have migrated to Seattle from Vancouver, BC to attend Amma. This year was no exception. To celebrate the visit, we made a glorious meal for Saturday’s dinner. Dave made his world famous macaroni salad and barbecued chicken. We also had some of the best early summer corn we have ever had. My contribution was the strawberry-rhubarb shortcake bars I concocted on Saturday afternoon. I had gone to the produce stand to get things for juicing. When I saw the bright red stalks of rhubarb sitting next to the strawberries…. I decided I would come up with something for dessert. I didn’t want to make a pie as I was also making quiche for the weekend, and I am not that into pie crust in the first place. I wanted something everyone could just help themselves to; like a bar cookie. A quick internet search led me to Carla Hall’s Strawberry Shortbread Bars. Perfect….I just had to incorporate my rhubarb. None of us care for things “too sweet” and the contrast of lemon, rhubarb and strawberry is a total winner. This recipe could actually accommodate any summer fruit. Blackberries rule, here in Seattle, which has me thinking about a blackberry, Thai basil and lime combination. Ooh la la!

Strawberry Rhubarb Shortbread Bars

1/2 pound butter softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup almond flour

2 cups sliced strawberries

2 cups sliced rhubarb

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons of sugar

1/2 cup Strawberry Jam

Heat the oven to 350′. Prepare a 9 x 13 baking pan by greasing it with a little butter.

In the bowl of the food process combine the butter and the sugar. Add the vanilla, salt, flours and pulse until coarse and crumbly.

Set aside about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the refrigerator. Pat the remaining dough into the prepared pan. Make sure it is even. Poke the shortbread with a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake until lightly brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the shortbread is baking, prepares the strawberry rhubarb mixture. Place the lemon juice and remaining sugar in a medium pot. Warm over medium-low heat. Add the rhubarb and bring to a simmer. Cook the rhubarb until it is soft, about 7 minutes. Add the strawberry jam and return to a simmer. Add the sliced strawberries and cook another 5 minutes. Add in the gated lemon zest.

Spread the mixture over the shortbread. Make crumbles out of the remaining shortbread dough that was chilling in the fridge and sprinkle them over the top of the fruit mixture. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the shortbread crumbles are golden.

Let cool and refrigerate. Serve with a big scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy, with gratitude and great friends!

Have a wonderful evening,

Laura

Bumper Crop Blueberry Pie

07/31/2014 by Laura 2 Comments

Our blueberry bushes are loaded with large berries in various stages of ripeness. The weather has been just perfect for them. I barely picked two gallons last year. I have picked about 4 gallons already.

So what do you do with an abundance of blueberries? You make pie, of course! This time, I made two. One for a friends birthday and one for my nephew, who just finished his bar exams. Lots of reasons to celebrate with pie.

Laura’s Blueberry Pie

pastry for 2 pies – detailed pie crust instructions here

Preheat the oven to 450′.

8-10 cups of blueberries, picked over to remove stems, leaves and green berries then rinsed and drained

2 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup quick cook tapioca

1/4 cup flour

4 ounces of butter

Prepare crust for two pies – or 1/2 recipe, one pie

Mix the berries, sugar, cinnamon, tapioca and flour together in a large bowl, very gently.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pie pans.

Cut two slices of butter into 4th’s and dot the pie with the butter.

Add the top crust. Trim evenly as shown in detailed pie crust instructions linked above. If you like, add little cut outs made from the remaining dough. Brush the crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Place each pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This makes the spill over a breeze to deal with!

Bake for 10 minutes at 450′. Reduce heat to 350′ and bake another 40 minutes. Rotate pies half way through the baking process. Let cool completely and then refrigerate. Serve with a big scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.

I almost forgot to mention…There is one more celebration happening today. Cooper is turning 3 years old and has officially been a part of our family for two years! (We adopted him on his 1st birthday.) It is traditional for our dogs to get an ice cream cone on their birthday! Happy 3rd Birthday Cooper, and many more!

Sweet Corn and Zucchinni Sauté with Basil and Chevre

07/01/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

This is my favorite time of the year! Dinners are quick and simple. Inspiration comes from what is on hand from the last visit to the farmers market, and what is ripe in the garden. The zucchini is now producing. If you have grown zucchini yourself, you know you need to check the plant every single day, under every single leaf or risk finding an 8 pounder that results in 15 loaves of zucchini bread! I have been checking everyday, and luckily I found two manageable zucchini. I was also lucky enough to find plenty of basil, a few Anaheim chilies and a sprinkling of ripe tomatoes. Unheard of this early in the season in Seattle, but hey, I’ll take it. Don’t you love the nasturtiums? They just seem to shout “summer”!

We had planned on bbq’d chicken and corn on the cob for a quick dinner. I love fresh, sweet corn but I prefer it OFF the cob. I know that is weird, maybe it’s due to a mouthful of braces and retainers as a kid, but I just don’t find a lot of pleasure in knawing the kernels off the cob. Armed with what I found in the garden and what was in the fridge, I came up with this quick sauté. It was delicious. If you’re like my Mom and don’t like chevre, you could easily use a little parmesan or feta, or even no cheese at all! Be creative, use what you have on hand and adjust the proportion of the ingredients to your taste!

For the Sweet Corn and Zucchini Sauté

olive oil for sautéing

salt and pepper

2 small zucchini, sliced in thirds and then diced

2 ears of corn, kernels sliced away from cob (Place the corn in a bowl, use a very sharp knife to cut the kernels away)

1 small, sweet onion

1 large Anaheim chile, chopped fine

1 diced tomato or a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

1-2 Tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade

2-4 Tablespoons crumbled chevre, or any other cheese you prefer

Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Sauté the diced onion and green chili until soft. Add the zucchini and tomatoes. (I also threw in a little purple salad onion I accidentally pulled up!)

Season with fresh ground salt and pepper. Sauté about 5 minutes and layer the corn on top of the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let the corn steam, about 5 more minutes. Do not over cook. You want the corn to remain a little crispy.

When ready to plate, scoop onto a serving dish, garnish with the basil chiffonade and crumbled chevre. Serving this at room temperature is perfectly fine. Serve this over brown rice or quinoa for a hearty vegetarian main dish.

Greek Style Salad and Chicken with Herbs

06/20/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

Here in Seattle, I can visit a different neighborhood Farmers Market everyday of the week from early June through late September. I visited the Lake City Farmers Market yesterday afternoon. It was my first visit to this particular market, and my first “summer” market shop. Needless to say, I got a little excited and a bit carried away. I found many late spring treasures: last of the season asparagus, fava beans, English shelling peas, green garlic, garlic ramps, farm fresh eggs and farmstead feta cheese. There were also some early summer things from the warmer, Eastern part of the state: cucumbers, peppers and even a few tomatoes. I had no immediate plans for anything I bought. I just knew it would all be wonderful.

Quickly surveying what was available from my garden, the chicken breasts I thawed earlier in the day, and my haul from the market, I decided on a Greek Salad and grilled chicken for dinner.

Dave was at rehearsal and not around to help me with photos, so I had not really planned on posting this meal. I took a few shots along the way that turned out fairly well, and since the meal was really delicious, I decided to share it after all.

Like I mentioned earlier, I had originally planned to throw the chicken on the grill for a few minutes. Once the chicken breasts were on the plate and liberally seasoned with olive oil, chopped oregano, lemon zest and salt and pepper; they just seemed to say “roll me up and sauté me”! Ok then, that’s what I did and I will definitely do it again. Next time, I will hold back a little feta from the salad and include that in the center as well as the herbs.

Roll the chicken from the longer edge. Tie with kitchen twine or secure with toothpicks. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add a little olive oil to the pan. Sauté the chicken breasts on all sides, until done…about 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little white wine. Slice the chicken into rounds and serve with the pan drippings and the Greek Salad.

Laura’s Greek Style Salad – adjust the ingredients and proportions to your personal taste

Cucumber, peeled, quartered and sliced

Red bell pepper, chopped into bite size pieces

Purple onion, quartered and then thinly sliced

Pitted kalamata olives

Feta cheese, cut into cubes

Cherry tomatoes, halved

2 Tablespoons fresh oregano, coarsely chopped

Fresh cracked pepper and freshly ground salt

Juice of one lemon

Good quality, fresh, peppery olive oil

Chop all ingredients and place in a bowl. Gently mix with your hands. Add the lemon juice and enough olive oil to coat the vegetables. (Olive oil to lemon juice ration is typically 3 to 1.) Adjust the seasoning. Chill until ready to serve. I plated the salad on butter lettuce leaves.

I harvested our first of the season tomatoes this week! Having a ripe tomato this early is a big accomplishment in Seattle! I took a chance and planted earlier than usual this year. Luckily, the weather has supported that decision with mild temperatures and alternate days of rain and sun.

Dave’s Diner – Summertime Macaroni Salad

06/11/2014 by Laura 2 Comments

We posted this recipe last summer with some pretty bad photos. You may remember, Dave has taken over macaroni salad responsibilities. It is one of his favorites and I used to make it for him. Last summer, due to my heavy travel schedule for work, Dave decided to learn to make it on his own. After a couple of phone calls; one to me and one to his Mom, he had his recipe down! This post is especially fun as I was away when Dave made this. He set up the shots and took all the photos himself! He also made bbq chicken to go with this salad, but did not get any shots. Maybe next time!

Dave’s Summertime Macaroni Salad

1 1lb package elbow or salad macaroni, cooked according to directions (be sure not to overcook), rinsed, drained and cooled

6 hard-boiled eggs, cooled, peeled and chopped

1.25 cups chopped dill pickle (I used to use sweet pickle – Dave changed it up)

1.25 cups diced celery

1.25 cups chopped, purple onion

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

1 to 1.5 cups mayonnaise, depending on how you prefer the salad

2 T. yellow mustard

2 T. pickle juice

2 t. celery seed

1 t. celery salt

salt and pepper to taste

paprika for garnish

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir together gently. Place in serving bowl, garnish with paprika and chill at least 4 hours. This salad is actually best chilled overnight.

As with all kitchen endeavors, Dave had a lot of help with this recipe. (Photo from first post.)

Memorial Day Fiesta – Chile Relleno

05/27/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

While at the market gathering ingredients for tamales, I noticed beautiful, fresh poblano chile peppers. Right then I decided I would serve chile relleno alongside the tamales. When I can, I use fresh Hatch green chiles from New Mexico. When Hatch chiles are out of season, I use poblanos. Either way, you want to use the freshest chiles you can find.

For the Chile Relleno

8-10 fresh Hatch or Poblano Chiles

1 pound Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese

1 cup flour

salt and pepper

4 eggs, separated

oil for frying

Begin by roasting the chiles. Roast them on a very hot grill, turning about every 5 minutes, until all sides are charred. Be sure and make a small slit in each chile to allow the steam to escape, prior to roasting.

It is important to wear gloves when handling the chiles. Once the chiles are roasted, place them in a plastic bag to “steam” about 10 minutes. Remove the chiles from the bag and gently peel away the charred skin. Cut a slit in one side of the chile. Pull out the seeds as gently as possible.

Cut the cheese into rectangles that will fit into the chile. Place a piece of cheese in each chile. Close the open edge with a toothpick.

Separate the four eggs. Beat the whites to form stiff peaks. Break up the yolks with a fork. Gently fold the yokes into the whites with a spatula. Place the flour on a plate or bowl that the chile will fit into. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Heat about 1″ of oil in heavy skillet, over medium high heat.

Dredge the stuffed chile in the flour.

Dip the chile in the egg mixture. Hold the chile by the stem and let the excess egg mixture drip off.

Place the chile into the hot oil. Brown on all sides.

Place the fried chiles on a rack over a pan. When ready to serve, heat them in a 350′ oven for about 10 minutes. Serve with red enchilada style sauce Be sure to let your guests know to watch out for the toothpick!

Rigatoni with Sausage, Eggplant, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

03/26/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

One of my favorite resources for quick, weeknight meals is Saveur Magazine’s weekly email of Simple Weeknight Meals. Sourced from previously published recipes, they often call for ingredients that you probably have on hand. Today’s recipe, inspired by traditional pasta alla norma, is a great example. I made a couple of modifications to suit our taste. You could easily omit the sausage to make a hearty, vegetarian pasta dish.

pasta alla norma Laura, inspired by Saveur Magazine, Oct. 10, 2013, Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage

For the pasta

1 medium eggplant, cut into ¾″ cubes

5 tbsp. olive oil

12 cremeni mushrooms, sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage, we like Isernio’s Italian Chicken Sausage

1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, undrained and crushed by hand

16 fresh basil leaves, torn by hand

8 oz. rigatoni

2 – 4 oz. Pecorino Romano or parmesan, grated

Heat oven to 500°. (Yes that is correct.) Put eggplant and mushrooms into baking dish and drizzle with 2 tbsp. oil. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 325′.

Roasting the eggplant and mushrooms at this high temperature brings out a wonderful rich, smoky flavor.

Heat remaining oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chile flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic softens, about 3 minutes. Add sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up into small pieces until browned, 16–18 minutes

Add tomatoes and half the basil, season with salt, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to tomato sauce. Stir in reserved eggplant and mushrooms and toss to combine. Stir in remaining basil and season with salt.

Transfer the mixture to the baking dish you roasted the eggplant and mushrooms in. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 325′ for about 15 minutes. Serve with a tossed green salad and a big bold Chianti.

More Savory, Less Sweet Cranberry Chutney

11/26/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

I adore homemade cranberry chutney. I don’t think I have made it the same way twice. The “pop, pop, pop” of the cranberries as they are cooking is so much fun! This years combination includes pears, apples, onion, balsamic vinegar and a little Grand Marnier, for good measure! Not only great alongside roast turkey, it is fabulous on a turkey sandwich. No can opener required.

For the Chutney

2 12 ounce bags of fresh cranberries

1 small granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 small Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and diced

1 small sweet onion, diced

3/4 – 1 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

juice and zest of 1 large orange

zest of 1 lemon

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons of Grand Marnier (or Triple Sec or Cointreau)

Dice the apple, onion, pear and set aside. Zest the orange and lemon with a microplane grater. Juice the orange into a measuring cup. If needed add water, or additional orange juice to make 1 cup.

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring the juice and sugar to a simmer. Cook about 3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add the onion and simmer about 5 more minutes. Add in the cranberries, apple, pear, cinnamon, clove, salt. Simmer about 10 minutes.

Taste for sweetness – you made need a little more sugar depending on how tart the cranberries were. Add the balsamic vinegar and orange liquor. Simmer on very low heat another 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Add in the lemon and orange zest. Place in a container and refrigerate. The sauce will thicken as it cools. This recipe made 1 quart + one cup of chutney.