This Christmas, Marco and I have decided to extend my tradition of making homemade gifts to share the joy with our loved ones! We have booked our calendars and invited them over for cooking sessions in order to make their own Christmas gifts. It will all take place in our kitchen, with us, Chez Nous.Hence, the name of this selection of recipes and gifts that we are going to make, let's call them the Chez Nous products...We are so looking forward to the fun of such future cheering sessions: Winter Chutney, Xmas Granola, orange marmalade, chocolate truffles with sesame seeds, Xmas shortbread cookies, olive oil crackers, and tapenade (Mediterranean olive purée), to name but a few. I will give them all out to you, in due time, of course!
The Chez Nous concept implies that our guests bring the ingredients needed for their own homemade gifts, and I provide the recipes, jars, boxes, labels, fabric bags, etc.
I am still working on the packaging, but as I started today with my first batch of Winter Chutney, I thought I would just share the recipe with you now...
Ingredients
2 kg cooking apples
6 cooking onions
500 g pitted prunes (or dates)
10cm piece of fresh ginger
4-8 plump garlic cloves
2 tbsp salt
4 cups of malt or cider vinegar
2-3 tbsp of Madras curry paste (I actually cut it with more spices and put 1 tbsp of cumin seeds, 1 tbsp of turmeric, 1 tbsp of curry and a pinch of cinnamon)
1 kg light brown or muscovado sugar
A selection of nuts & berries, according to your taste: hazelnuts, walnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, currants or any other dried fruit, like a few thinly sliced apricots, for instance.
Makes 4.5 Kg
Honestly, I tend to halve the quantities as my pot is not big enough to contain a larger amount. And 1 Kg of apples is quite enough actually, it already makes up to 7 jars!
1. Peel, core and square the apples. Chop the onions, prunes & ginger & garlic. Put all the ingredients, except the sugar, in a large non-reactive pot, and simmer for 20 min over medium heat until the apples have begun to soften. Add the sugar and simmer for another 5 min stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Increase the heat and boil the chutney for 45-50 min, stirring often, until when reduced and thick.
3. Ladle into hot sterilized jars, cover with vinegar-proof seals, and label.
Best served with cold meats, like poultry or pork, or in sandwiches with mature cheddar, Stilton (the traditional British Ploughman sandwich combination works well here, as this chutney easily replaces the pickle or relish), or brie de Meaux cheese.
2 kg cooking apples
6 cooking onions
500 g pitted prunes (or dates)
10cm piece of fresh ginger
4-8 plump garlic cloves
2 tbsp salt
4 cups of malt or cider vinegar
2-3 tbsp of Madras curry paste (I actually cut it with more spices and put 1 tbsp of cumin seeds, 1 tbsp of turmeric, 1 tbsp of curry and a pinch of cinnamon)
1 kg light brown or muscovado sugar
A selection of nuts & berries, according to your taste: hazelnuts, walnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, currants or any other dried fruit, like a few thinly sliced apricots, for instance.
Makes 4.5 Kg
Honestly, I tend to halve the quantities as my pot is not big enough to contain a larger amount. And 1 Kg of apples is quite enough actually, it already makes up to 7 jars!
1. Peel, core and square the apples. Chop the onions, prunes & ginger & garlic. Put all the ingredients, except the sugar, in a large non-reactive pot, and simmer for 20 min over medium heat until the apples have begun to soften. Add the sugar and simmer for another 5 min stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Increase the heat and boil the chutney for 45-50 min, stirring often, until when reduced and thick.
3. Ladle into hot sterilized jars, cover with vinegar-proof seals, and label.
Best served with cold meats, like poultry or pork, or in sandwiches with mature cheddar, Stilton (the traditional British Ploughman sandwich combination works well here, as this chutney easily replaces the pickle or relish), or brie de Meaux cheese.
Getting ready for the season is starting NOW!
What a blast!
What a blast!
3 comments:
Très bonne idée les cadeaux gourmands! Il fut un temps, quand j'avais plus de temps libre, où j'en faisais également. En particulier du chutney, qui avait toujours beaucoup de succès. Sauf auprès des parents d'Eric qui ne connaissaient pas ça. Ils ont cru que c'était de la confiture; forcément, ça ne leur a pas beaucoup plu... Sinon, je faisais plein de Plätzchen (les bredele alsaciens), ces petits gâteaux que toute bonne ménagère allemande se doit de préparer en quantité pendant la période de l'Avent. Elles débordent d'imagination en la matière. Si ça t'intéresse, je pourrai t'envoyer la recette d'un des plus courants, les Vanillekipferl (croissants à la vanille), très faciles à faire et délicieux. Tiens, tu me donnes envie de m'y remettre!
Ahhh,les Bredele! Miam-miam, j'ai en effet les moules en étoile, petit ange, etc. Ici, il y a les Xmas cookies qui y ressemblent mais qui ne peuvent rivaliser avec le goût onctueux et savamment épicé des Bredele. J'en ai fait pendant quelques années quand j'étais en France, en atelier-cuisine avec une bonne maman alsacienne qui faisait également un délicieux pain d'épices et des kougelhopfs à se damner (Eh oui, j'ai partagé quelques années de ma vie avec un Alsacien...)Mais, je suis très curieuse de recevoir ta recette de Bredele à la vanille.Please! Merci de me l'envoyer à mon adresse email, avec photo à l'appui si tu en fais! Je publierai un article sur ta recette dès réception, et mise en pratique de ladite recette dans ma cuisine!;)
Merci encore pour l'enthousiasme de ton commentaire .
Xtine
Je vais donc essayer de m'y mettre bientôt pour t'envoyer une petite photo avec la recette! Et si tu fais du kouglof, je serai heureuse que tu nous fasses aussi partager ta recette, j'adore ça! Ma grand-mère en faisait, mais pour ma part, je n'ai encore pas essayé.
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