Green Tomato, Grape and Apple Chutney

By some extraordinary piece of luck, every year a tomato plant that I never planted pops up and makes its appearance in my garden.

The plant grows and grows into a jungle with stalks that I hold up with a multitude of stakes and ties. It reminds me of Jack and the Beanstalk (am I dating myself with that one?). And the stalks are loaded, absolutely loaded, with what becomes the sweetest, most delicious cherry tomatoes ever.

I am guessing that the thing grows from a seed or two that must have planted itself from either some other plant somewhere (but not my garden because I don’t have other plants with this variety of tomato) or maybe from the remains of some outdoor patio lunch or dinner at which I served that kind of tomato.

Whatever the reason, the plant comes back every year in the same place, just as thick and fecund as ever.

Nature is glorious.

But of course, after a while the cold weather comes and dozens of tomatoes are still growing and I have to harvest them before the frost. They’re green of course, so, what to do?

In past years I’ve breaded and fried the small green tomatoes. These glorious tidbits are crunchy outside and soft inside and when you bite into them you get a spurt of fresh, tart tomato juice. They are really good as hors d’oeuvre.

I’ve also used the tomatoes to make chutney. I cooked this new version recently, because I had some apples and grapes on hand.

We love chutney as a side relish with roasted meat and chicken. I also serve it on crackers spread with a bit of cream cheese and have used a thin layer on top of cheese to make a super delicious and unusual grilled cheese sandwich.

Green Tomato, Grape and Apple Chutney

• 2 cups green cherry tomatoes, halved (or use chopped green tomatoes)

• 2 cups seedless grapes

• 1 cup raisins

• 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped

• 3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 dried chili peppers (or one small chopped fresh chili pepper)

• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Place the tomatoes, grapes, raisins, apples, onions, garlic, ginger, vinegar, brown sugar, water, salt, chili peppers, mustard seed and coriander in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until very thick.

 Makes about one quart

BEEF RIBS WITH SPICY RIB RUB

I don't have a lot of go-to meals. I like to mix things up, change recipes, add a new ingredient or change a seasoning or try a different sauce and so on.

But when I'm in a hurry or too busy to cook I make something quick and simple, usually something I've done dozens of times. One of my favorite go-to quickie recipes is: beef ribs. I preheat the grill or broiler, sprinkle the ribs with salt, pepper and garlic and that's that. Dinner (add a vegetable or salad or maybe some cut up avocado/tomato) is done.

Before last week I had never made beef ribs with a rub. I know you can buy all sorts of rubs and marinades but I wanted to try my hand at it so I made my own rub mixture. Instead of my usual -- grill the meat for 10-12 minutes -- I let them cook ever so slowly, tightly wrapped in foil, for 3 hours, until they were as soft as .... fill this in for yourself. Then I quickly grilled them until the surfaces were crispy.

Oh my, dinner was awesome. I will make this again.

And by the way, I poured the pan juices into a jar, put it in the refrigerator for a few days, then scooped the fat that rose to the top and used the juices to baste a chicken. So with this rub we got double the flavor, fun and good food.

 

Broiled/Grilled Beef Ribs with Spicy Rib Rub

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 pounds beef ribs

Combine the brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, chipotle and cayenne in a bowl and whisk to blend the seasonings evenly. Add the olive oil and mix thoroughly. Spread the mixture all over the ribs. Refrigerate the ribs for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Wrap the ribs tightly in aluminum foil. Place the foil wrapped ribs on a cookie sheet. Bake for 3 hours. Remove the package from the oven. Remove the ribs from the package (there will be pan fluids*).

To broil: preheat the oven broiler. Place the ribs on a cookie sheet. Broil for about 3 minutes per side or until crispy.

To grill: preheat an outdoor grill. Place ribs directly on the grids and grill for about 3 minutes per side or until crispy.

Makes 4 servings

*Pour the pan fluids into a jar, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the fat rises to the top. Remove and discard the fat. Use the fluids as a basting sauce for beef or chicken.