Today we're very excited to be joined by Dinah of
DinahsGourmetGifts.com.
She is chef, blogger, and author who will be
signing copies of her new book, Gourmet Gifts at our Design House event December 2nd, 3rd & 4th.
We've had the pleasure of viewing her book, and let me tell you it's packed with great recipes and gift ideas. The book also makes an excellent holiday gift, and yes the holidays are really just around the corner!
We asked Dinah to share a recipe we could make and take to our Thanksgiving dinner hostess. Read on to find out how
to make Dinah's Sugar Pumpkin Chutney!
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Thanks for the Invitation
A guest post by Dinah Corley, author of Gourmet Gifts
There
are two distinct schools of hosting Thanksgiving dinners; highly orchestrated
and totally improvisational. Highly
organized hosts oversee every detail, planning the menu, polishing the silver
and arranging the place cards. Each course will strike a harmonious note. Between
the bees’ wax candles, the carefully selected wines, and the dazzling
conversation, you will feel as golden and pampered as the perfectly roasted
bird. These folks do not under any circumstances want you to show up with a
gift intended for their menu or table setting. Trust me.
On
the other hand, totally improvisational gatherings give emphasis to family and
friends, not the bill of fare. The plate
on your lap can have three different dressings and no sweet potatoes. You will
be far too busy laughing, gossiping, watching football, or yelling at your kids
to notice. Improvisational types do not
under any circumstances want you to show up with a gift that requires a stove,
refrigerator, or clean dish. Trust
me.
The
ideal gift in either case is a darling paper pumpkin surrounding a jar of
exceptionally good chutney made from fresh sugar pumpkin. The highly orchestrated can slather it on Friday’s
turkey sandwiches as they put away their silver. The improvisational will miraculously find a
clean spoon before the turkey is carved and pass the jar around to garnish
three different dressings.
Orchestrated
or Improvisational, you are bound to have a great Thanksgiving, and your hosts
are bound to be thankful for this lovely little gift.
Pumpkin Chutney
Overall prep time: 1½ hours
Active prep time: 35 minutes
-
Easy-
Inexpensive-
Do not freeze-
Ships well-
Can be doubled or tripledShelf life: 2 to 3 weeks refrigerated
Makes: about 3 cups
Ingredients-1 pound peeled and seeded sugar pumpkin, cut into 1-inch cubes
-1 cup granulated sugar
-⅔ cup light brown sugar
-1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
-1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
-⅓ cup golden raisins
-3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
-1 tablespoon grated orange zest
-1 piece (½ inch) peeled fresh ginger, cut into fine slivers
Directions
1.
Combine all of the ingredients in a large Dutch oven or a small
stockpot and allow them to macerate for 30 minutes. Place over medium
heat and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching,
cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the chutney for 10 minutes.
2.
Remove the cover and continue to cook the chutney for another 15 to 20
minutes, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin flesh is very soft and
easily pierced with a fork and most of the liquid has cooked away. Allow
the mixture to cool slightly. Meanwhile, wash a glass jar or jars (this
recipe makes enough to fill three 8-ounce jars) in hot soapy water and
dry in a 190°F oven.
3. Spoon the warm chutney into the hot jar,
let cool, and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator until you are
ready to assemble and deliver the gift.
Wrapping It Up
A pumpkin costume makes the chutney an
entirely charming gift for any fall occasion. The supply list and
directions that follow apply to an 8-ounce jar approximately 4 inches
high and 3 inches wide. You can adjust the supplies and directions to
accommodate just about any jar; simply make sure that the diameter of
the orange paper circle is four times the height of the jar. For
example, a jar that is 4 inches in height requires a circle of orange
paper that is 16 inches in diameter.
Suggested supplies for each 4-inch jar-1 circle (16 inches) orange construction paper or lightweight poster paper
-2 sheets dark-orange tissue paper
-Double-face tape
-2 circles (3 inches each) brown construction paper
-3 paper or fabric autumn leaves
-1 length (10 to 12 inches) curly paper or paper raffia ribbon in green or brown
How to turn a jar into a pumpkinIf
you can envision folding circles of paper to make snowflakes, the
construction of this pumpkin cage will be easy. Fold the orange paper
circle in half, then in half again. Unfold the circle and smooth it out
on a work surface. Using the two intersecting crease lines as your
guide, center the chutney jar on the paper circle and trace around the
bottom of the jar. Remove the jar and refold the circle into quarters.
Fold the quarter circle in half, and then in half again, so that you
have folded the circle into 16 parts. (Remember, this is just like
folding a paper snowflake.) Use small pointed craft scissors to round
off the sharp corners of the folded circle’s outer edge. Unfold the
paper circle and smooth it out once again on the work surface, revealing
a large circular shape with 16 scallops around the circumference.
Starting at the outside of the circle, use the pointed craft scissors to
cut along each of the 16 creased lines all the way to the outside of
the traced center circle. The big orange circle should now resemble a
floppy daisy with 16 petals.
Center the chutney jar on 2 sheets of
slightly crumpled tissue paper and gather the tissue loosely over the
jar, not only to cover the jar but to give it a rounder shape. Apply a
large “X” of double-face tape to the jar lid and press the tissue into
the tape to keep it place over the jar. Apply another large “X” of
double-face tape to one of the brown paper circles and center it, tape
side down, over the top of the jar to neatly cover the orange tissue on
the jar lid. Now apply double-face tape all around the perimeter of this
brown paper circle. Center the tissue-wrapped, brown-circle-topped jar
of chutney on the orange “daisy.” Bring each “petal,” one after the
other, just over the rim of the jar lid and press it into the
double-face–tape perimeter of the brown circle. Each consecutive petal
should overlap about one-third of the previous petal. Proceed all the
way around the jar in this fashion. When you are finished, you will have
a jar of chutney surrounded by a paper pumpkin “cage.” Apply a couple
of large “X”s of double-face tape to the remaining circle of brown
construction paper, and apply this circle, tape side down, to the top of
the pumpkin cage to further secure the pumpkin “petals” and cover the
construction of your wrap. Use double-face tape or super-tacky craft
glue to apply the autumn leaves and some curly-paper or raffia “vine” to
the pumpkin for a finishing touch.
