Different Eastern Spices
Or, perhaps you're celebrating hanukkah, or yaldā, or kwanzaa, or festivus. Whatever it is, I hope you're eating well with people you love. Or eating well with people you hate, but really love because of a blood line. Oh family.
As much as I get bugged by the commercial side of the festive-season, I love presents. I love giving them, I love getting them, I love seeing people's faces when they open them. It's like crack to me. My student salary encourages me to be inventive with presents. Well, that or broke-ass poor. Take your pick. I pick inventive.
Jane and I have started a tradition where we give family and friends preserves for party. Last year was bourbon fig jam and christmas spiced stone-fruit jam. This year we're doing this spicy tomato relish (which is mind blowing) and boozy apricots (which is equally mind blowing, but for those with a sweet-tooth). This relish tastes particularly good with burgers, beers, or vintage hard cheese. It is probably best enjoyed with silly family members wearing lopsided paper hats.
Spicy Tomato Relish
Ingredients:- 1 kg any variety of tomato (2.2 pounds)
- 2 capsicums
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 shallots (chopped finely)
- 3/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- Fresh chilli (to your liking)
- Sea salt & black pepper
- Cut any large tomatoes in half. Cut the capsicums in half and remove the seeds. Smaller tomatoes can be roasted whole.
- Place tomatoes (cut side down), capsicum (cut side down), and garlic cloves (still whole) in oven. Roast until tomatoes are soft, and capsicum skins are blackened.
- Squeeze the garlic out of their skins & remove tomatoes from the vine (if any).
- Put all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1-2 hours until reduced by one-half to three-quarters. If the mixture tastes a bit too vinegary still, add a small amount of brown sugar. Note: If you are making a larger quantity of this mixture, like I did, it will take longer to boil down to a 'relish-like' consistency.
- If preserving put into heated jars. You can heat them by sitting them in boiled water. Put the relish in the jar, seal the jar, and then put it upside down on the bench to cool. This will seal the jar and make it 'pop' when opening.