Cherry Chutney

If I were you, I'd put a nice slice of goose liver pate on one of grandma’s special plates. Then put some toast points and several tablespoons of  Kitsy’s cherry chutney on the plate. Then I'd garnish the dish with several pickled ramps. If you can’t find pickled ramps, garnish the plate with some pickled okra. As a last resort, I'd use cornichons, but I’d much rather have pickled ramps or okra.

I had to use truffle mousse pate and cornichons tonight because I couldn't get goose liver pate Sunday and we were out of pickled ramps. We ate the toast points, the truffle mouse pate, and the cherry chutney. But we left the cornichons on the plate. I would have eaten pickled ramps or pickled okra:-)

We enjoyed our spread, with a bottle of white wine, on the lawn at the NC Museum of Art ampitheater , while we enjoyed Joan Baez in concert. She sang her hits from the 60s. It was a beautiful Carolina August night ... we finally got a temperature that we could tolerate ... with nice gentle cool breezes. We finally got to hear her sing Blowin' in the Wind for the final encore, with everyone singin' with the gusto us boomers had in the '60s. The last time I saw Joan Baez live, before tonight, was in 1977, at the Sea Turtle restaurant bar, in Atlantic City, Florida. (near Jacksonville.)  I worked on the road in those days. I could tell you a lot of crazy stories about "the Jacksonville gig" (but I won't).

Getting back to the ramps. Would you like to try some fresh ramps? If you’re in Pocahontas County West Virginia close to Easter, just travel into the Monongahela National Forrest. Follow the Little Williams River until you come to a mighty bend in the road. Park there and spread your picnic on the bank of the river. Watch those rapids pourin' over the rocks. After you have eaten, or before if you like, get out a big plastic bag and an old broken off butcher knife and start walking up the hill. When you start getting’ near the top, start looking for the ramps. You’ll be looking for a broad leaf, not a scallion stem. Ramps are a cross between a wild leek and onion. When you dig them up, the bottom is going to look like a scallion. Eat one raw. It ain’t gonna taste like a scallion. Lord have mercy, after you eat one your breath will blow folks away. But  if you pickle them ramps or cook them up real nice, you might enjoy them a lot. You can also find ramps in NC’s Smokey Mountains, but I’d rather dig the critters in West Virginia.  I have included some ramp recipes elsewhere in this eclectic blog. If I haven't, hang in there and I will. 

By the way, Pocahontas County, West Virginia  is where you will find Pearl Buck’s cottage out in the country on beautiful unspoiled land.  It's a nice place to visit. Have you read her classic novel of China, The Good Earth?

Here's the recipe for Kitsy's Cherry Chutney. It is delicious! This is going to make enough chutney to fill 3 large canning jars. If this is more than you want, cut the recipe in half, as I did Saturday.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb. fresh cherries (or whatever fruit you have), chopped 
1 lb. onion, finely chopped
2 lb. cooking apples, such as Granny Smith (4 will work)
2 c. cider vinegar
1 piece ginger root
1 tbs. whole cloves
1 tbs. whole allspice
1 tbs. peppercorns
1 lb. brown sugar
3 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Cover onions with water and boil 5 minutes; drain.
Chop apples; boil in 1/2 vinegar until the liquid disappears and the apples are soft (about 12 minutes) 
Put spices in a cheesecloth bag and put the bag in a pan with rest of vinegar and sugar.
Bring to boil, then simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Let sit for 30 minutes, then remove spice bag.
Add onions, fruit and salt to the pan with apples.
Bring to boil, then simmer 2 hrs. 

Put the chutney in clean, hot jars, screw on the lids and turn upside down. Jars should seal; if not, store in fridge.

Our apple harvest season is coming soon and I'm looking forward to it!