Tomato Chutney

I'm still harvesting tomatoes from my garden and my urge to gorge on as many as possible has abated somewhat.  I've even stopped dreaming about tomato sandwiches every day.  That means I'm now thinking more about making sauce and other tomato based recipes for the end of Summer.  On Friday, I made tomato chutney.  This is a tangy/sweet concoction that tastes great on toast or grilled meats.  Like caramelized onions it also lends a unique taste and texture when added to stews. Tonight I added it to a chickpea pilaf. Sounds strange, but it was very nice.  And a tablespoon of it thinned with olive oil makes a delicious vinaigrette.   

Freshly picked, skinned tomatoes ready to be seeded and chopped--so beautiful. 

The seeded and juiced chopped tomatoes are combined with spices, garlic, golden raisins, vinegar and sugar.

After about an hour of simmering, it reduces down to a thick, tangy concoction.  Part of the fun is adding a spoonful or two to different recipes. 

Tomato Chutney   (Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook)

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced into a fine paste
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, drained, and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons raisins
3 teaspoons salt

Combine fenugreek, cumin, fennel, and aniseeds in a bowl and set aside.   Heat olive oil in a deep sauce pan over medium heat and add the mustard seeds. Cook until they begin to pop (you may cover the pot if you want).  Add garlic and cook for 1 minutes, then add the combined seeds. Cook for about 30 seconds or until aromatic.  Add the vinegars, tomatoes, sugar, raisins and salt.  Lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 1 hour until the chutney has reduced and become dark, thick and unctuous.   Let cool and store tightly in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Comments

[steven]

I've still got about 20 pounds of tomatoes left I haven't canned(I ended up harvesting over 200 pounds this year), I'm going to make a little batch of this today. Thanks for the idea.

[Julie]

Those skinned tomatoes ARE beautiful! Just gorgeous! The finished product is pretty gorgeous looking too and sounds delicious.

[Mae]

Sher, i love posts like this with step-by-step photo guide. Brilliant job - i know how hard it is to shoot while cooking. The colours of the tomatoes are gorgeous.

[Jeff]

That does look really really good...interesting that you used golden raisins.

[Christine]

Oh, now Sher, I'll have to get back to the Coop to pick up yet another bushel of tomatoes so I can make this! Slow roasted tomatoes and marinara sauce a la Kalyn and now this wonderful tomato chutney. Will our work never cease? Beautiful, beautiful photos, great recipe, I want some right this minute! Thank you!
PS - My Mustard's Grill book is being shipped to me right now. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

[sher]

Steven,

That's wonderful!!!! I certainly didn't get that amount of tomatoes. I'm thinking that I may make more things like the chutney and can it. They certainly turn an ordinary meal into something more interesting.

Julie,

Thank you! I keep discovering more things to pair the chutney with.

Mae,

Thanks! Yes, it can be hard to take a picture, particularly when your hands are messy from cooking!

Jeff,

I love golden raisins, but the recipe specified them, so I was very happy to comply.

Christine,

I predict that you will be very happy with your Mustards Grill cookbook. The pictures are wonderful--and the recipes too. And it stays open, so that you can have it there while you're cooking, to check the recipe.

I'm going to need to go to the farmer's market and buy tomatoes to supplement mine if I want to make more sauce for Winter.

[aria]

sher that looks so delicious, tangy and sweet and tomatoey. i think i could just eat it with a spoon, yumm. (i am a secret sauce by the spoon of all kinds eater) i am knocked out over how perfectly you peeled the tomatos!

[kross-eyed kitty]

That looks delicious! I did make your Onion Jam, and it turned out wonderful!

[Louis-Charles]

I have only tasted restaurant chutney so I now have a recipe to try. Thanks so much for the post.