Unwinding on a Friday night

This week has been full of excitement in the office and my to-do list for next week is looking like a mountain - albeit an exciting mountain that I'm just itching to climb. However, to reach the summit a restful weekend is required and what better way to unwind than to make chutney? Lots of chopping and then some relaxing stirring to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan as the heat works its magic.

So that's just how I spent my Friday evening, whilst mentally going through my plan of action and formulating ideas for next week.  And look...

A productive evening

The song Ten Green Bottles springs to mind (which probably tells you more about how my mind works than it is safe to divulge) but really it's ten red jam jars and I'm desperately hoping they don't fall off any walls or shelves!

The lovely people at Riverford had sent beetroot in my veg box two weeks running so I had enough for a serious batch of this sweet yet tangy loveliness. I tweaked the recipe to accommodate what I had available but the original is from A Green Guide to Traditional Country Foods by Henrietta Green via the Sainsbury's Magazine.  

Here's my recipe:

Beetroot Chutney

850g beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated

450g onions, finely chopped

700g Bramley cooking apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

225g sultanas

225g dried cranberries

1.1litres malt vinegar

850g granulated sugar

2tsp ground ginger

Put all the ingredients into a large, heavy-based, stainless steel pan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and then simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, for 1.5hours or until everything is soft and the chutney is thick but still juicy. Pour into sterilised jam jars and seal. Leave to cool.

Makes about 2.75kg

I came down to the kitchen this morning to the lovely sight of ten jewel-coloured jars that just needed the finishing touch of a label (akin to the icing on the cake). I'd had a wonderful night's sleep which I'm convinced is because I had put all my thoughts in order whilst making chutney the night before. What a wonderful start to the weekend!

I'm also pleased to report that last week's scones were a triumph!  My fellow crafters were very complimentary of the plain scones and I really enjoyed the gluten-free ones - surprisingly light for wheat-free.  Mind you, our hostess pulled out all the stops with the presentation so maybe we were all just eating with our eyes?!

A feast for the eyes as well as the stomach!

The rest of the weekend I'm going to be sewing.  I have finally been able to track down the fabric I need to make a birthday present for my friend.  Her birthday was ten days ago and, if she hadn't moved to Italy earlier this year, I would have had to abandon the project in favour of an alternative (probably not hand made). However, we will be seeing each other in September so I have been granted a reprieve so that it can be hand-delivered (as well as hand made!)  Anyway, it was third time lucky for finding the fabric in stock so I'm finally all set.