Just a few weeks ago I went to England with my father, we stopped off at my uncles house in the heart of the Suffolk countryside. My aunt and uncle, much like ourselves, are into anything and everything country, that being fishing, boats, gardening, foraging hedgerows for fruit and home craft but to name a mere few. We sat down in their lounge and had our usual cup of tea with them whilst we exchanged stories of everything that they had been up to and the tales and goings on of the farm since the last time we saw them just a few weeks ago, when my uncle told me he had something for us to try, so he came back from the kitchen with a jar and a couple of spoons, "here, try some of this you two, I made some chutney and I think you might like it!" he told us with a smile, so we eagerly grabbed a spoon each and tried a mouthful, wow! It was magnificent, just the right tart to sweetness.
I cheekily asked if I may have the recipe and my uncle ran back to the kitchen and grabbed a dear, little pocket book of chutneys and preserves, I flicked through the pages and took a selection of a few of the recipes. I asked where he got the dear little book and he replied that he had had found this tiny book some many years ago, tucked away deep in a shop somewhere on his travels. I told my uncle that I will try the recipe at home and see how I get on. Well, today was that day.
I started out early this morning by picking some 'Bravo de Esmolfe' apples from a couple of apple trees on a meadow of ours, just above the house, where we graze our ram, Godfrey, from time to time. Next, I picked a basket of walnuts, I love walnuts and could (and quite often do) have them on everything!
After that I gathered all my pots, pans and ingredients and set about following the instructions of the little book. At only four lines it was quite a simple recipe, but a jolly tasty one, not too dissimilar to Branston pickle! Here is a photo of my uncles little apple and walnut chutney recipe, I hope you too will try it.
