Masala

I think dinner was a success. I realized halfway through the afternoon and much too late, that I had been far too ambitious with the menu but Company was kind and seemed to enjoy the fruits of my efforts. While the artichoke was an epic fail, and my garam masala sweet potatoes were met with mixed reviews (though I enjoyed them and was quite tickled at finally learning how to make ghee) I can recommend the cardamom chicken  and my cobbled together squash chutney:

Squash and Apricot Chutney

2 lb squash (butternut, hubbard or acorn)

1 peach

½ cup oil

1 tsp salt

1 cup dried apricots, julienned

1 2”(5cm) piece of gingerroot, julienned

1 red pepper

1 cup sugar

1 cup orange juice

½ cup white vinegar

1 tsp dried chile flakes

1) Bake the squash until just tender (approx 20 mins)

2) Cut the squash and fruit into small pieces and put in a bowl.

3) Peel and mince the pepper. You want tiny pieces so the taste will compliment the rest of the ingredients, not overpower them.



4) Reserve 1 cup of the squash & apricots. Combine the remaining ingredients in a pot.

5) Cook the chutney on medium heat for about 50 minutes. Stir often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.



6) Put the reserved cup of squash and apricots in the mixture. Add the minced onions and cook for 10 minutes more. This give your chutney a chunky texture and appearance.



7) Remove the pan from the heat. The chutney will continue to thicken slightly as it cools down. You can eat your chutney now or store in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.





I know for certain I enjoyed the conversation, company and walk despite being exhausted which makes it a success in my book.

Kitchen Tip of the Day: You can use coffee filters instead of cheese cloth (thanks Mom!)

Plautdietsch Phrase of the Day: schmurtzpuddel = fat puddles (it's actually some type of food though I can't recall what only the direct translation because it made me giggle)