A Homemade Life: Cranberry Chutney with Crystallized Ginger and Dried Cherries

I should probably change the name of this blog to something along the lines of "complaints about the weather" because I feel like I do that a lot.  But today, I'm going to do the opposite.  The weather has been phenomenal this week.  A bit of a chill in the air in the mornings, and a welcome reprieve from the scorching heat we've had this summer.  

I love this kind of weather, although it's not predicted to stay this way for long.  The heat is expected to return this weekend.  And the problem with the heat is that when you have a 3 year old, you can't exactly just hang out at home in the air conditioning.  

Not long ago we braved the heat and headed out to Leo Carrillo Ranch.

The ranch was built by famed actor Leo Carrillo and at one point in time functioned as a working cattle ranch.  Now it remains a historic site where you can roam through the casitas and grounds.

The oppressive actually seemed fitting, making it feel a bit like the wild wild west, sometime around high-noon.

When we pulled into the parking lot, tons of toddlers were pouring out of their respective family cars, because there's a special feature at Leo Carrillo Ranch which is a big draw for the younger set.

Peacocks! 

Lots and lots of peacocks.

And not just peacocks, but also peahens, complete with their tiny babies!

Seriously, how cute are these little guys?  Have you ever seen baby peacocks before?  It was my first time.

The peafowl weren't exactly friendly.  There was no petting or cuddling with the birds.  But they were accustomed enough to the many visitors that they were willing to come up quite close.  This one wanted to check and see what was going on when Thatkid was working on his (terrible) peacock imitation.

We drank a ton of water while we were there and left before lunch to try to avoid being out in the hottest part of the day.  Because that's what you do when the temperatures climb.  But right now I'm trying to take advantage of the cooler temps and planning our fall schedule. 

Fall always gets so busy with the Jewish holidays, Thatkid's birthday, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.  I'm running into the dilemma of feeling that it's too early to worry about Thanksgiving and the thought that it's only 2 months away, and this year Thatmom isn't hosting!  Which means I need to get on my game with planning.  Luckily I've picked up a couple recipes over the year that will make my life easier.  Like this cranberry chutney.  I love using cranberries during the holidays - especially in my baked brie.   I usually make my own version of cranberry chutney which involves sugar and cranberries.  This is a more complex flavor than mine, and I'm excited to sub it in.  It also works really well as a cranberry sauce substitute for things like leftover turkey sandwiches.  And if you want something easier than baked brie, there is little easier than placing some goat cheese and this chutney on an endive leave.

Cranberry Chutney and Crystallized Ginger and Dried Cherries (From A Homemade Life)

 24 ounces apricot preserves

3/4 cup raspberry vinegar

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 cup grand mariner

2 bags fresh cranberries

1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 1/4 cup dried tart cherries

1. Combine apricot preserves, raspberry vinegar, salt, cloves, and grand mariner in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until it has thickened slightly.  Stir regularly to keep from scorching.
2. Reduce the heat to medium add the cranberries and cook until they are soft, but not popped.  
3. Add the ginger and cherries and stir well. Remove from heat.  Cool completely before serving.

Repurposing Thanksgiving leftovers

The only difficulty with having Thanksgiving at Thatmom's house is the lack of leftovers to play with. Usually there's enough for "second Thanksgiving" the next night, but that's pretty much it. And leftovers are never fun when you're eating them the exact way as the night before.

Luckily a lack of leftovers on my part doesn't stop me from sharing some great ideas with you. Because while I don't have leftovers from Thanksgiving, I do have the raw ingredients that many of you may have used in your own Thanksgiving feasts - namely, sweet potatoes and cranberries.

I've been using fresh cranberries a lot this year - ever since they showed up at the market. Mainly because last year I started getting cranberry antsy about a month or so after they had disappeared and so I've been storing up some good ideas since then. I made my own cranberry relish a few days before Thanksgiving. Between that and the cranberry butter, I had some leftovers in the bag which I felt would make an excellent topping for chicken. Reduced down to a thick and chunky chutney, this would work equally well over pork or turkey.

Cranberry Chutney
3/4 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh cranberries

1. Combine the water, brown sugar, vinegar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and salt in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved
2. Add in cranberries and cook slowly about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the cranberry skins pop and the mixture thickens.
3. Serve over chicken, pork, turkey, or use in a sandwich!

This year the sweet potatoes at our table were replaced with delicious butternut squash. But that might not be the case at your house. In years past there has been a bowl filled with baked potatoes - both of the regular and sweet variety. And there are always some leftover. Mashed potatoes are a great way to use up leftover baked potatoes, but these are so great and seasonal you may not want to wait until you have leftovers. Growing up, Thatdad would make squash with brown sugar and cinnamon, so the use of sweet additions to the mashed potatoes isn't too much of a shock. The maple and brown sugar make the sweet potatoes even sweeter, and there's something so perfect about maple syrup this time of year.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
1 lb baked sweet potatoes OR
1 lb raw sweet potatoes cut into chunks, 1 cup apple cider, and 1 cup water
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp brown sugar

1. If using baked sweet potatoes, scoop out the insides and place in a saucepan.
2. If using raw sweet potatoes, combine the chunks, cider, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Drain and return to saucepan. Use the back of a fork to mash the potatoes.
3. Reheat potatoes over a low heat and add the butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar.