Cranberry Parsnip Chutney

For this month's recipe, I wanted to use Fall ingredients and warm, spicy flavors. On the way home from a Habitat house build where I'd spent all day hammering outside in the cool, crisp Autumn air, I came across a roadside produce stand. I left with some beautiful parsnips, cranberries, and cider, and decided to

feature these flavors in a chutney. I kept the ingredients seasonal, opting for ground ginger instead of fresh, although I'm sure fresh ginger would also be wonderful.

When I was trying out the spices for the chutney, I started with the heat of ground ginger to complement the parsnips, and rounded it out with the allspice and nutmeg. If you stop there and add 1.5-3 more cups of chopped apples, you could have a lovely spicy cran-applesauce. But for a chutney, I found it really needed something extra. The curry powder was the solution. It added complexity and the hint of Indian cooking that is necessary for a good chutney, and brought the parsnip back into play. I'd hit the chutney trifecta: sweet, sour, and savory.

Aside from being healthier for you, the honey adds a mellowness that sugar could not provide. If you don't have that much honey, though, sugar could be substituted (note: you'll need to add more water if you use sugar). Altogether, it makes for a lovely warm, rich, tasty chutney.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups peeled and diced parsnips

1 tbsp unsalted butter

a pinch of salt

1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp hot Indian curry powder (curry powder from an Indian store is a million times better than McCormick)

1.5 cups diced cooking apples (keep the peels on)

12 oz. (1 bag) fresh cranberries (if you're using frozen, you can use them straight out of the freezer)

1/2 cup water (add more if needed)

~3/4 cup honey (adjust to taste)

Directions:

Sauté parsnips in butter and salt until browned. Add spices and stir for about 30 seconds, until the scents are released. Add apples, cranberries, and 1/2 cup water. Simmer until soft (it will be like a lumpy applesauce). Stir in honey to taste.

I served the chutney with pork chops that were sautéed with a sprinkle of curry powder and salt. To accompany the main dish, I had honey glazed parsnips, baked sweet potato, and broccoli. Since I was out of white wine, I chose a dry hard cider (Strongbow - my favorite!) that worked very well with the dinner. I would suggest a ripe pear and piece of milk chocolate Bliss for dessert. (I had my pear before dinner, and was so happy with the dinner flavors that I never got around to chocolate afterwards, but I can imagine that it would go beautifully).

I would also recommend trying the chutney with thick slices of a butcher-made spicy pork or chicken sausage. Mm...