2009 Becomes 2010

Did you stay up until midnight to ring in 2010? I didn't. By 9:30 pm, I knew it was a losing battle, so was in bed and sound asleep by 10. And that's okay!

It was a nice day yesterday. And today too for that matter. About minus fifteen. A little more snow.

I LOVE snow on the trees ... it's the best part of winter! I think I love winter. I don't mind the cold (as long as there's no wind), and I seriously hate summer heat. I guess that means I'm living in the right part of the world for me?

Yesterday, I made PERSIMMON CHUTNEY. This is a persimmon:It looks somewhat like an orange-coloured tomato, but quite different leaves. Probably not your best example of a fresh persimmon ... you have to take into consideration that I live IN THE NORTH. That means most fresh produce must be trucked in here, which means we don`t always get the bestest to choose from. I don`t know anything about persimmons ... only that I bought some in Vancouver years ago (I was on a `try weird fruits` kick at the time), liked them, and went searching for cool things to do with them. Persimmon Chutney is one of the cool things I discovered.

I grew up with lots of homemade pickles and relish with which to add interest to hohum meat and potatoes. This chutney definately beats the hohums ... but its not like Gramma`s sweet cucumber relish!

I thought a nice way to close 2009 and open 2010 would be for us to make Persimmon Chutney together, so .... combine the following in a saucepan:

1 and a half cups cider vinegar

1 cup chopped onion

1 tart apple, peeled and cored and chopped

1 cup golden raisins

three quarters cup white sugar

Yes, I changed saucepans ... this is not unusual for me as I`m not a very good judge of sizes or quantities, and often find my pot is too small once I start cooking.

one quarter cup lemon juice

1 green chili, chopped

I used 2 including the seeds ... and seriously debated about using 3. I LOVE the heat, but if I made it too hot, I might have to eat all the chutney myself, so stayed with 2 so I can share. If you seriously don`t like too much heat, use 1 chili and scrape out the seeds.

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

one half teaspoon ground cloves

(I think this is a little bit too much cloves ... a bit overpowering ... next time I`ll cut it down to one quarter teaspoon ground cloves.)

Simmer for about half an hour, or until somewhat thickened.

Add 3 fresh persimmons, peeled and chopped.

Simmer another 10 minutes, then cool and refrigerate.

That was so easy! And it`s PRETTY!

This chutney goes really well with lots of different things ... meat, fish, cheese. It`s especially yummy with Indian foods like Butter Chicken. I had some last night with cream cheese and crackers (and a glass or two of wine ... no wonder I couldn`t stay awake till midnight). Today I enjoyed some of this chutney at dinner with a nice piece of salmon.

This chutney also keeps well in the fridge, although I usually eat it all up pretty quick.

So ... Happy 2010 to everyone! May your New Year be healthy and safe, and may you enjoy a few adventures along the way. And perhaps some Persimmon Chutney!