Grilling with Sweet Cherry Chutney
Many thanks to the Boyertown Farmers Market (http://www.boyertownpa.org/farmersmarket/) for this cherry chutney recipe.
Cherries are in season at the Oakmont Farmers Market, and eating them fresh from the market is always a treat. But don’t ignore all the many possibilities of enjoying this seasonal fruit. This recipe for a cooked chutney goes perfectly with grilled chicken, lamb, pork and even beef and bison (available from Lindenhof Farm, Hill Acres Pride and Backyard Bison). Sweet chutneys are a classic and rather Medieval sauce for meats; the sauces that follow this – the basil, herb, and arugula pesto – would be perfect with grilled meats as well as fish.
25-30 sweet cherries (about a pint) — washed, dried and pitted
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1/3 teaspoon crushed garlic, (or paste)
3-5 tablespoons of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 dried red chili, sliced
Boil the vinegar and water in a pan and add the ginger, garlic and red chili. If you prefer less heat, use less chili. Once the mixture starts to boil, add the cherries and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the salt and sugar to taste, but do not over-sweeten. (The cherries are sweet already — it’s the vinegar you are balancing.) Let it cook on low to medium heat until the cherries soak up all the liquid and are soft. Remove from the heat, transfer to a dish and let cool to room temperature.
For the meat, grill as you like, but it always helps to baste lightly with olive oil as it cooks. Grill over a low to medium heat with the cover down but vented.
Serve the grilled meat with a generous dollop of the chutney for a wonderful summer meal!
Herb Sauces
There are many lovely herbs available at the market right now, and it takes just a few ingredients and very little time to whip up a quick and delicious sauce for grilled meats, fish, and even tofu and tempeh.
Basic Basil Pesto
The proportions that seem to work nicely are:
2 cups washed and picked leaves
½ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts
2 large cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Use either a blender or a food processor and whip the garlic and nuts with about half of the oil, until thoroughly blended. Then add the basil and the rest of the oil and blend. Add freshly ground pepper and a SMALL amount of salt, since the cheese is very salty. The final step is to blend the cheese into the sauce and use.
Basic Herb Sauces
For other herbs, use roughly the same proportions but omit the cheese.
2 cups picked leaves, washed
½ cup olive oil
garlic to taste
nuts if you want
salt and pepper to taste
I also like to add other aromatics, especially hot peppers, capers, and olives, all dependant on the herb (or herbs) used. For instance, arugula is used as ‘the’ pesto base in much of Tuscany (basil pesto is a specialty of Liguria) and arugula mixes beautifully with other herbs (mint, for instance) and capers/olives for sauce for lamb or beef and bison. Parsley, garlic and capers are magical with grilled fish, as is cilantro, garlic and capers (which pairs perfectly with lamb and pork as well). Another great addition is summer savory and tarragon (with parsley) for fish. All of these sauces also make perfect dips for vegetables, pita bread, and even (gasp) tortilla chips. In fact, all you need to do is add a bit of tomato and hot pepper to the cilantro and garlic sauce and viola!, you have a very tasty salsa! The only herbs to be cautious about are the very strong-smelling ones with a lot of oils, such as rosemary and sage. These sauces freeze beautifully so they will be ready for your next BBQ feast. And you can even put them on pasta – imagine that!