Cranberry-apple chutney

chutney

This cranberry-apple chutney is one of my holiday staples. Every year I like to make a big batch just before Thanksgiving and pack it into jars, either to serve with festive meals at home or to bring to our hosts as an edible gift. I’ll be testing it out on Thanksgivukkah this year and I think it will go down a treat.

apples

The chutney is lovely with turkey, slow-roasted duck legs or really any roasted bird – and wonderful with leftovers.

chutneyjar

Cranberry-Apple Chutney (adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe)

700g Granny Smith apples (about 5 medium or 7 small), peeled, cored and sliced into bite-sized pieces

250g dried cranberries

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

a thumb-sized knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

350 ml apple cider vinegar

200g caster sugar

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons salt

Makes about 3 jam jars of chutney

Place all of the ingredients into a saucepan or dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a rapid simmer, stirring regularly, then lower the heat to a slow simmer.

Cook for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the apples have become soft and the mixture appears thick and jammy.

Transfer the chutney into clean jam jars and close the lids tightly. Once cool, store the chutney in the refrigerator until the holidays are over.

Corn with girolle mushrooms

corngirolle

Growing up in the United States, we enjoyed corn on the cob all summer long. Shucking corn on the cob was a chore I never minded, and we ate the corn with funny plastic corn-shaped holders on either end.

All that came to an end during the years I lived in France, where corn is mainly something to feed to animals. Or possibly to drain out of a can to put in a salad.

I’ve enjoyed eating fresh corn again since moving to the UK. While I grew up eating corn boiled, with a pat of butter, I now prefer my corn on the cob grilled, with just a sprinkling of sea salt.  Or, as we move towards autumn, I love eating corn cut off the cob and gently pan-fried with some fresh girolle mushrooms.

Corn with girolle mushrooms (inspired by an Alice Waters recipe in Chez Panisse Vegetables)

3-4 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off the cob

100 g fresh girolle mushrooms

1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil for pan-frying

1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped

1-2 tablespoons olive oil for dressing

a squeeze of lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4 as a side dish

Rinse the girolles in a colander, then wipe any remaining dirt off with a paper towel. Slice into small bite-sized pieces.

Heat the coconut or vegetable oil in a skillet and add the garlic. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the girolles and cook over medium heat. When the girolles have started to brown, add the corn and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the corn is just cooked (taste to be sure). If the corn starts to burn while cooking, add a few drops of water.

Allow the corn and girolles to cool for 10-15 minutes. Add the avocado, lime juice, and coriander leaves, then add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Corn is not GAPS-friendly and is often not tolerated by followers of the GFCF diet, so this recipe will not be for everyone. That said, even the most vegetable-averse children often like corn, so it can be a useful “gateway vegetable” to teach children about getting more color onto their plate.

Carrot salad

carrot salad

During the many years I lived in France, carrot salad was something of a staple. I never actually made it myself, but would pick up a barquette de carottes rapées at the charcuterie on my local market street along with some cold cuts to serve as a weekend lunch that was more about shopping than cooking. The carrot salad was something I liked and enjoyed but never got terribly excited about.

Then one day my friend L brought a homemade carrot salad to a BBQ at a mutual friend’s house. Now, L is an amazing, professionally-trained cook, so I was quite surprised she would bring along something so ordinary. Until I tasted her salad, which was fresh and flavorful and incredibly moreish, with just the slightest kick of spice. Naturally I hounded her for the recipe.

I now make carrot salad very regularly, and not just because the nearest French charcuterie is a Eurostar ride away. It’s a lovely accompaniment to grilled fish or lamb chops, and the recipe can easily be scaled up to feed a crowd. Or to ensure leftovers.

Carrot salad (adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters)

750 g carrots

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

a small pinch of cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot)

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons of your best olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Serves about four people.

Peel and grate the carrots – I use the grater disk of my food processor for this but you could also use a box grater or mandolin. If the carrots appear watery I like to drain them in a colander for about 15 minutes, but feel free to skip this step.

Crush the garlic into a bowl and add the salt. Mash together, then add the cayenne pepper, vinegar and olive oil and whisk well.

Toss the dressing with the grated carrots and taste. If it is at all bland or dry, add a pinch of salt or a drizzle of olive oil. Add the chopped coriander leaves and toss just before serving.

Raspberry sorbet

sorbet

On a hot summer night I can’t imagine a better way to round off a meal than with a refreshing homemade fruit sorbet. Sweet, tangy raspberry sorbet is my absolute favorite.

Although there are various methods of making sorbet without an ice cream maker, if you are planning on making sorbet regularly it is well worth picking up a basic ice cream maker. In my opinion, sorbet really is one of those foods that are worth the effort to make at home. Homemade sorbet bursts with flavor in a way that store-bought sorbet rarely does. Unless you live in Italy, perhaps…

Raspberry sorbet

250 caster sugar

250 ml boiling water

600g fresh raspberries

1 lemon

Makes approximately one liter of sorbet, enough for 4-6 people.

Start by making a sugar syrup: put the caster sugar in a bowl, add the boiling water and stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Put to one side to cool.

Put the berries in a food processor or blender, reserving a few berries for garnish if you like. Add the sugar syrup and blend well.

Place a fine sieve over a bowl and pour the raspberry pulp into the sieve. Strain well, rubbing the pulp through the sieve with a spoon until only the seeds remain in the sieve. Discard the seeds.

Juice and strain the lemon and add to the raspberry puree. Mix well, then chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Switch on your ice cream machine and pour in the fruit mixture. Churn until the sorbet is firm enough to serve, about 25 minutes.

Serve immediately topped with a few berries or freeze in a plastic container.