Plum and Date Chutney

Hello food lovers! Here is a chutney which is a perfect partnership of sweet dates and tart plums.  It is unusual in that is preserved with balsamic vinegar.  Fear not about the cost!  The Pound Shop sell it for – no! – a pound and the chutney will taste just as good.

Ingredients

2 onions, finely chopped

4 apples, chopped

300g chopped dates

4 kg plums, washed, chopped and stoned

4 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground cloves

6 star anise

500ml balsamic vinegar

500g soft brown sugar

 

Method

1. Slowly saute the onion until translucent.  Add the spices and cook for about half a minute, stirring gently, just enough to allow them to be incorporated.
2. Add the apples and dates, stir well, then put in the sugar, plums, and balsamic vinegar.  Stir gingerly, but well.
3. Bring the chutney to the boil.  Simmer for two hours, stirring now and then, until the mixture is thickened but not runny.  About three quarters of an hour before the mixture is ready, put the oven on Gas Mark 2/150C/300F, then wash some jars in very hot soapy water.  Rinse and dry well, then put them on a baking sheet.  Add this to the preheated oven.  This will give them enough time to sterilise.
4. When the mixture is done, take out the trays jars with oven gloves, then carefully spoon in the chutney (both need to be hot or the glass will crack) and put on the lids.  If it is easier, you can tighten them properly when the glass has cooled.
5. Wait for at least a month before trying the chutney; the flavours need time to mature.
6. Enjoy with salads, curries, ploughman’s or buddha bowls.  A jar of homemade chutney also makes a lovely gift!

If you’re lucky, you may find a plum tree and save a lot of money.  But if not, this will cost around £12.68, if you get the apples and sugar from Aldi and the rest from ASDA, excepting the balsamic vinegar from The Pound Shop. However, if you know anyone with a plum tree you’ll save £7.50!  I have factored in the cost of the spices, so if you have any at home you’ll be up on the deal.

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Vegetable Caponata

This is a top-notch relish without the price tag because all the vegetables are now in season.  Caponata is an Italian condiment with infinite variations, so I thought I’d give it a local tweak with vegetables in season here.  Can be served as part of a vegan Ploughman’s lunch, or an accompaniment to a sandwich, or a side dish at dinner, or as part of a buffet.  It’s an obliging little dish which you can take anywhere!

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil

2 medium onions

100g garlic stuffed olives, sliced

1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes

2 tbs cider vinegar

200g baby courgettes, cut into 2 cm baton

200g baby aubergines, diced

2 tbs light brown sugar

zest and juice of an orange

salt and pepper to taste

25-30g fresh basil

Method

1. Fry the onions for the caponata in the oil until translucent (5-8 minutes).  Stir in the olives, tomatoes, baby courgettes, baby aubergines, zest of the orange and the sugar whipped into the orange juice. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Take it off the heat.
2. Chop the larger leaves of the basil and stir into the mixture, then when you have decanted the caponata into a pretty bowl, garnish with the smaller leaves.  This is best served a room temperature, so if you want to make it in advance take it out of the fridge half an hour before serving, and garnish with the little leaves at the last minute.

Tesco have brown sugar and basil on special at the moment, so if you can access one, this will cost £7.52 if you do not have cider vinegar in the house.  As always, this factors in all ingredients except the oil.  I was wondering, do you have websites which search supermarkets’ prices where you are living?  They’re so useful if you are on a budget.  I use mySupermarket here – do you have something similar?