Green tomato chutney

Tomato harvest is going towards its end. Last weekend we picked most of the tomatoes from the plants. Green ones. Around a month ago i made green tomato chutney. I likd it, but it was too sweet for some people. So i searched for another recipe. I found this one on the BBC Good Food website.

In the comments there are some variations mentioned. So i’m adding some spices and chili’s. I will add the old chutney i made, simply add less sugar and taste a bit more.

The courgettes are for a pickling sweet sour courgette recipe. I ended up not making it. Another day.

Ingredients

  • 2½ kg green tomato
  • 500g onion
  • 1 rounded tbsp salt
  • 500g sultana
  • 500g cooking apple
  • 300g light muscovado sugar
  • 1 litre jar spiced pickling vinegar
  • spices: ground ginger, tumeric, ground star anice, dried chili

Method

  1. I didn’t leave the tomatoes and onion overnight. Too impatient. I did start out with them though and left them standing for a while.
  2. Next i picked the jars from my collection of saved ones and put them in big pans with boiling water. I left them in there with the water boiling fiercely for around ten minutes.
  3. Chop the sultanas. Peel, core and chop the apples.
  4. Put the sugar and the vinegar into a large pan, boil and stir to dissolve the sugar
  5. Add the sultanas and apples to the vinegar and sugar and simmer for around ten minutes
  6. Strain the tomatoes and onions, don’t rinse. Add the tomatoes and onions
  7. Put the ginger, tumeric, star anice and dried chilis in a dry pan and roast them for around ten minutes. Add them to the chutney mixture
  8. Simmer for around an hour or until you are happy with the consistency.
  9. Transfer the chutney to the jars, make sure they are really full and cover with the lids

Published on October 25, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Conflict

6. Sung / Conflict

above CH’IEN THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN
below K’AN THE ABYSMAL, WATER

The upper trigram, whose image is heaven, has an upward movement; the lower trigram, water, in accordance with its nature tends downward. Thus the two halves move away from each other, giving rise to the idea of conflict.
The attribute of the Creative is strength, that of the Abysmal is danger, guile. Where cunning has force before it, there is conflict.
A third indication of conflict, in terms of character, is presented by the combination of deep cunning within and fixed determination outwardly. A person of this character will certainly be quarrelsome.

THE JUDGMENT

CONFLICT. You are sincere
And are being obstructed.
A cautious halt halfway brings good fortune.
Going through to the end brings misfortune.
It furthers one to see the great man.
It does not further one to cross the great water.

Conflict develops when one feels himself to be in the right and runs into opposition. If one is not convinced of being in the right, opposition leads to craftiness or high-handed encroachment but not to open conflict.
If a man is entangled in a conflict, his only salvation lies in being so clear-headed and inwardly strong that he is always ready to come to terms by meeting the opponent halfway. To carry one the conflict to the bitter end has evil effects even when one is the right, because the enmity is then perpetuated. It is important to see the great man, that is, an impartial man whose authority is great enough to terminate the conflict amicably or assure a just decision. In times of strife, crossing the great water is to be avoided, that is, dangerous enterprises are not to be begun, because in order to be successful they require concerted unity of focus. Conflict within weakens the power to conquer danger without.

THE IMAGE

Heaven and water go their opposite ways:
The image of CONFLICT.
Thus in all his transactions the superior man
Carefully considers the beginning.

The image indicates that the causes of conflict are latent in the opposing tendencies of the two trig rams. Once these opposing tendencies appear, conflict is inevitable. To avoid it, therefore, everything must be taken carefully into consideration in the very beginning. If rights and duties are exactly defined, or if, in a group, the spiritual trends of the individuals harmonize, the cause of conflict is removed in advance.

Published on October 24, 2018 at 6:00 by
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On the bus

Today i took a bus towards Maassluis. It passed the following streets:

Station Schiedam Centrum – Delflandseweg – Broersvest – Koemarkt – Oranjestraat – Warande – Sint Liduinaplein – Burgemeester van Haarenlaan – Vlaardingerdijk – Vijfsluizen Metro – Mr. L.A. Kesperweg – Vlaardingen Oost – Verploegh Chasseplein – Stadsgehoorzaal – Liesveldviaduct – Van der Driftstraat – Westlandseweg – Floreslaan – Maasland Viaduct – Vermeerlaan – Mesdaglaan – Mgr. W.M. Bekkerslaan – Korte Boonestraat – Rozenlaan – Mozartlaan – Uiverlaan – Koningshoek – Maassluis West – Nachtegaallaan – Korhoenstraat – Einthovendreef

The bus drove past the house i am born in. Past the old trainstation, being rebuild now as a tube station. Past the street i walked on towards lower school. Past the trees i played around with a friend. Past the city centre i went to and bought my records, my clothes, my shoes. Almost everything.

Memories, memories, memories.

Published on October 22, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Reading

A week in which i did a lot of reading. I slept better, didn’t watch anything on my iPad in bed. Thinking a lot. About when i will publish my videoclip. Right now i’m thinking the end of this year, Monday 31 December 2018. The last day of the year. The first day of the week after Christmas. The week before i’m taking off. Christmas and all. It feels good to me.

Now i am going to take a shower. Wash my hair. Going to bed early. I will look tv on my iPad this evening in bed. Expeditie Robinson. I don’t have any desire to participate in this show myself. Like, never. But it is interesting to watch. Ooh and the Keuringsdienst van Waarde is on tonight as well. One of the few television programs i watch every time it is on.

A good weekend to you. Salute!

Published on October 19, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Thinking

My thoughts these days seem to crawl slowly ahead. Which to me feels like a good thing. They are moving ahead. Mostly about the videoclip i’m making right now. Which progresses very slowly, i confess. I don’t even know if i’ll be able to finish it this year. Yesterday i let that thought go. I might. But i’m not gonna say anymore i will.

I am happy. Very happy.

Salute!

Published on October 17, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Calendula oil and salve

This summer i picked calendula flowers, put them out to dry and saved them. The end of June i took the dried flower leaves home and put them in oil. I used ecological sunflower oil. I let it stand on the windowsill for way too long. I read that a month should be enough. I let them stand for three months.

Today i let the oil drip from all the dried leaves. The oil is very orange. It also smells a bit sweet. I put some left over oil on my legs and afterwards my fingers smelled sweet. Lovely!

The main use of calendula is in wound-healing and skin-soothing. It promotes healing. It is anti-inflammatory and slightly antimicrobial. You can use it on scratches. Do not use any oil-based calendula on oozing or weeping wounds. Use a calendula tea for those and let it dry between applications. It is safe and nontoxic.

My main purpose is making calendula salve. A person i’m following on youtube is Morag Gamble. She has a channel about permaculture life. She made three movies about calendula. I used her recipe as a base. The movies i linked at the bottom of this post.

The recipe is very easy.

  • 1 part calendula oil
  • 1/2 part coconut oil
  • 1/2 part beeswax

I put all three ingredients in a glass jar. I warmed it up in a pan and kept on stirring it until everything was dissolved. I washed several small jars and pots, dried them completely and filled them. That’s it!

Morag Gamble, our permaculture life

Published on October 16, 2018 at 6:00 by
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Membrillo

Membrillo paste, a Spanish jelly made with quince and sugar
Quarter the quinces and cut out the core. I didn't peel them. More pectine and more taste!
Boil tha quinces in water for around an hour
Get rid of the water and puree the quinces
Add the sugar. The recipes says to add the same weight, i added a bit less
Cook on a low fire...
.. till it gets brown. It took me around two hours. Do go through it with a wooden spoon to prevent it from burning at the bottom
Put the paste in a tin and let it cool. The brown bits are from the paste getting burned a bit. Lazy me.
Some apples drying. I hope these will work out! And that the flies keep of them.
Published on October 12, 2018 at 6:00 by
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