tomato chutney

basically

i am obsessed with this stuff

its a recipe

i swiped

from my visit to

ca' di gosta

in the hills of umbria

it was served one afternoon

and

 after catching me

licking the jar clean

jenny shared the recipe with me

great on a turkey sandwich

or a perfect condiment to

kalua pork

make it

make.

it.

now.

tomato chutney

(printable recipe)

makes approx 6 pints

3 lbs cherry tomatoes-cut in half

1 head garlic-peeled and finely chopped

1 heaping tsp crushed red pepper

about 2" root ginger--peeled and finely chopped

10 oz cider vinegar

1 1/2-2 lbs dark brown sugar

generous pinch of kosher salt

place all ingredients in a large pot, stir and allow to sit for 30-60 minutes.  place over medium heat, stirring occasionally and allow it to get to a dark, jammy like consistency.  this should take the better part of an hour. when you think the chutney may be ready, taste for flavor. you can adjust the sweet/sour/spicy at this point by adding more sugar, vinegar or red pepper.  test for doneness by placing a small bit of the chutney on a cold plate. if the chutney allows you to run a finger through it leaving a clean break, it is ready. you do not want it to get hard like a candy. place in glass jars and store in the refrigerator or if you are familiar with proper canning procedures, process for 15 minutes (at sea level) in sterilized jars.

lavender aioli

the other day, a dear friend sent me a quick note

explaining that she purchased a beautiful jar of

lavender salt

but had no idea what to do with it

could i make a few suggestions?

well

to be fair

i had never used lavender salt before

but i grow lavender

and it would only be time

before

i started gifting lavender salt

i became inspired

and came up with 

lavender aioli

it is terrific with sweet potato fries

but also great as a condiment

on a cold roast pork sandwich

and crab cakes

so, Theresa

this one is for you...

Lavender Aioli
(printable recipe)

1 Tbs dried culinary lavender

1 tsp sea salt

1 clove garlic

1 tsp lemon juice

2 egg yolks

3/4 cup or more (lightly flavored) olive oil

in a mortar and pestle, grind the lavender and sea salt.  you will be using 1 tsp of the mixture, set aside the rest to adjust seasonings.  add the garlic clove to the mortar and grind to a paste with the lavender salt. place the egg yolks, lemon juice, and garlic paste in a bowl and begin whisking.  slowly (drop by drop) add the olive oil and continue to whisk until an emulsion begins to form.  once the mixture begins to thicken, you may add the oil in a slow stream.  when it gets to a soft mayonnaise consistency, you are done.  add more lavender salt if you think it needs a bit more flavor.  

*if you are not up for all this work...buy a nice jar of good mayonnaise, spoon out about 1/2 cup and add the lavender/garlic paste to it.  sprinkle a bit of lavender on top to make it pretty.