Courgette Chutney

It's been a while since I've posted anything new; too long, I know. I've been trying to think of a reason other than I'm just plain lazy but, in all honesty, I'm too lazy to think of anything.

Right, courgettes. If you've been following me on Twitter (@blokeinkitchen) then you'll know I've been growing, amongst other things, courgettes this summer. It's turned out really well and I've had a fine crop but sometimes they've been coming through so quick that it's difficult to know what to do with them all.

I've made soup and had courgettes cooked in every way I can think of but following my recent success with gooseberry chutney, using gooseberries from my mum's garden, I've got the chutney bug and decided to put some of the larger courgettes to good use.

So, here goes, in approximate quantities:

140g raisins
2 Granny Smith apples (peeled and diced)
4 Cloves of garlic (peeled, smashed and roughly chopped)
1 Onion (peeled and diced)
1lb fat courgettes (peeled, de-seeded and diced)
1 inch of ginger (peeled and finely chopped)
300ml white wine vinegar
100g brown sugar
1 red chilli (finely chopped - seeds in/out - up to you)
Tablespoon of green peppercorns.

Because I'm lazy, I just put everything listed above into a large stainless steel pan, brought to the boil and simmered for about an hour, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn't stick. When the whole thing has reduced to a jammy consistency, pour into a sterlised glass jar, seal tight, allow to cool then put it in the fridge.

The texture of this chutney is more chunky than the gooseberry one and the chilli, ginger, garlic and peppercorns give it a good kick. I think it would be a good curry accompaniment, alongside the usual lime pickle and mango chutney but also with sausages, strong cheese and cold meats.

Hope you like it.



The Bloke