Beetroot and Tarragon Chutney. For Every Meal.

In the Vine family (my mother's line) chutney is a big thing.  My granny had an amazing and very closely held recipe for apple chutney that I sadly can't divulge.  It is the kind of chutney that gets better and better with age (I have a huge stash maturing in storage in England) and gets all guests begging for a jar to take home.  I grew up eating it on sausage rolls at Christmas time, on jacket potatoes, in cheddar sarnies, on pizza, salad...in fact most foodstuffs were simply a vehicle for apple chutney.

However, given I can't let on how to make the apple chutney of my youth for fear of a family backlash, here is a completely delicious alternative that I made over a month ago using left over beetroot and bits and bobs from the larder.  I broke it open yesterday to make a chutney and cheese sandwich - it was completely delicious.  And the great thing about homemade chutney, other than the taste, is that you can lay out shop bought bread, cheese, quiche etc but then if you pop open a jar of homemade chutney everyone thinks you are a culinary genius!

The tarragon would also make it a perfect chutney to serve with cold chicken or even trout. 

Ingredients

180 g shallots finely chopped

250 g raw beetroot coarsely grated

200 ml balsamic vinegar

50 g dark muscavado sugar

70 g gherkins finely chopped

2 tsp dried tarragon

1 tsp orange zest

70 g rasins

1 tsp salt

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan...

...bring to the boil and then simmer until the liquid has reduced...

2. Bottle in a sterilised jar (place a very clean jar in a hot oven), cover with a wax disc, label and keep in the larder for a month.  Refrigerate when opened and serve with cheese, in a cold chicken sarnie or with a braai.