Grey hair and wrinkles

Well, as you know I accept and embrace my greying hair & wrinkles, they are part of the person I am.

I must tell you a funny story.

Several months ago, before the weather turned cold, I was out for a walk. Casually dressed in my skinny jeans and boots, with a fitted little jacket over the top, the sunshine warmed my soul and I skipped along to the sound of salsa music drifting from an open window. I became aware of a manly footfall behind me. It seemed to move in step with me for several minutes.

Eventually the man, about fifty, moved to pass me by, as he did so he glanced in my direction, and the look of surprised shock was evident. What he saw from the front did not seem to fit with his image of me from the back! I winked, and grinned, to let him know I knew what he was thinking! 😉  He smiled and walked on.

Yes, my face is stamped with laughter lines and the hair that frames my face has assumed the glow of natural hi-lights.

Hell, grey hair is better than no hair at all, and it keeps my head warm. To see the real me, you need to look into my eyes, we are after all told that: ‘The eyes are the window to the soul’ and souls are ageless.

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Food Monday ~ Roasted tomato, apple and onion chutney

Chutney needs time and patience and is not for the five minute cook. Stick with it and the rewards can last for weeks or months. Chutney works well with cheese, salads, and cold meats, or as I do: I use it to line my bread in a sandwich.

We made this chutney in three stages, so I have broken up the ingredients & method for each part.

Roasted tomato, apple and onion chutney

Stage 1

1 kg tomatoes.
4-5 cloves of garlic * (optional)
Fresh thyme
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Cut the tomatoes in half end-to-end, and place cut side up on a baking tray. Slice 4-5 cloves of garlic, if using, and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Strip several sprigs of fresh thyme, and sprinkle the leaves over the tomatoes. Season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper and drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over all of the tomatoes.
Place in the oven at 200°F for about 50-60 minutes.

Stage 2

3 large onions, chopped
225g Sultanas
30mls dark brown sugar
30mls balsamic vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a frying pan over a low heat and gently soften the onions for 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium and add in the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, stir well and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, add the sultanas and cook for five more minutes.

Stage 3

1 kg Bramley cooking (tart) apples, peeled, cored and chopped to large dice
450 ml water.
150g caster sugar

Place apples and water in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and cook 25 minutes, or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Add more water as necessary to keep the apples simmering. Reduce heat, add the sugar and dissolve over low heat.

Stage 4

Add the roasted tomatoes, & onion and all their juices plus all the remaining ingredients.

10mls dessertspoons salt
550ml white wine vinegar
5ml mixed spice
5ml Peppercorns
Inch of root ginger, grated **
Good dash of white wine (optional)

Stir well. Bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce heat to a strong simmer for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick chutney. Seal chutney in sterile containers until serving.

* My sister is not a fan of garlic, so we omitted it.
**We had no root ginger, so we added ½ a teaspoon dry ginger &1 tablespoon stem Ginger syrup.

I will make it again, changing the spices with my mood on the day.