Nags Head Christmas Spectaular - Sunday 4 December

Nags Head Christmas Extravaganza

This free event caters for all the family to celebrate the launch of Christmas in the

Nags Head Town Centre with the switching on of the Christmas tree lights.

There will be a craft and food market, enjoy music and dance performances

on the community stage, mingle and enjoy street entertainment, meet Santa's

reindeer, sample fantastic hot food or tackle the climbing challenge and rides.

4th December 11:30-5:30

Holloway Rd between Camden Road and Parkhurst Road

I'll have my luxury homemade

Smy Chutney

, jelly and jam as well as Christmas items such as:

If you can't make it to the Christmas Spectacular you can also

order online

or visit me at

Whitecross St Market

on Thursday's and Friday at the Barbican and Waitrose end of the market and sample all the yummy flavours before you buy.

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

please follow us on

facebook

and

twitter

and if you haven't seen it already, here's a little video made by

Emma Crouch

about Smy Chutney:

Alison Pearson's Sausages with Apple & Pepper Chutney Recipe

My amazing and dear friend Alison Pearson kindly gave me a massive bag of bramley apples a few months ago that she had collected from her mother-in-law's garden.  From the apples I made a lovely Apple and Pepper Chutney with pink peppercorns and a secret ingredient - Smy Chutney six-pepper jelly.  The resulting chutney proved really tasty and became a popular seller at Whitecross Street Market with the apples, pink peppercorns and six-pepper jelly combining to create a lovely crisp chutney with just a tad of background heat

.  I gave Alison several jars to enjoy with her family and to give to her mother-in-law.  Alison and I used to work together and it was one of, if not the best working relationships that I have ever had.  I love Alison and totally respect everything about her; she is so professional, creative and family oriented and has been such a good friend to me the entire time I've known her.  My last gush is that she also has an utterly wicked sense of humour. 

Cooking and mealtimes are a total family affair at the Pearson residence and Alison rang me to tell me that everyone was really enjoying the chutney and she gave me the following recipe that her family had created using the apple and pepper chutney.  It sounded so lovely that I had to try it right away and I have since made it several times and wanted to share it here.  It couldn't be easier, couldn't be tastier and is perfect for chilly autumnal evenings.

You simply grill sausages in a bit of olive oil for 15 minutes or until they are nicely browned and then transfer them to a tray lined with a large piece of aluminium.

Using the pan that you cooked your sausages in, add a little more olive oil, heat it and add sliced brampley or cooking apples, a sliced onion and lightly grill for a few minutes until they have a nice colour.

Add the grilled sausages back into the pan and grill all together for a minute or two.

Transfer the sausages, onion and apple back to the aluminium foil and place two big tablespoons worth of apple and pepper chutney on top.  For an extra kick you could add a bit of six-pepper jelly as well.  Fold the aluminium to create a sealed parcel and place in an oven preheated to 180 ℃ for 15-20 minutes.  Remove the tray from the oven and carefully open the parcel.  Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and peas or broccoli, delicious!

Thanks again Alison for the apples and inspiration!

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

please follow us on

facebook

and

twitter

and if you haven't seen it already, here's a little video made by

Emma Crouch

about Smy Chutney:

Wheelz' Six-pepper baked chicken

Thanks to Sarah for sending this recipe suggestion for six-pepper jelly.  She marinated some chicken breasts in six-pepper jelly and then baked them.  A nice gravy resulted during cooking and she served them with boiled potatoes. Thanks Wheelz!!!

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

please follow Smy Chutney on

facebook

and

twitter

...

View Tube Christmas Craft Market - Saturday 3 December 2011

I'll be at the View Tube Christmas craft market on Saturday 3 December, from 10am-3pm with lots of beautiful craft gifts and a festive feast and mulled wine available from the Container Cafe.   I'll be selling my luxury homemade chutney, jelly and jam as well as lots of gift boxes which make a perfect present for family members, friends and colleagues. You can find more information on

Smy website

but things like:

I love the View Tube and was lucky enough to attend a craft market that they had last year.  You may have read about it as it is one of

my most read blog posts!

There were loads of amazing items available and the backdrop is one of the most exciting areas of London with a stunning view of the Olympic Park.  They are along the cycle path, have an amazing cafe and offer all sorts of events, exhibitions and activities.  You can find out a lot more about them by

watching some brilliant films here.

Why not check out their new exhibition series

Sparked

while you are at the Christmas Market.  Inspired by

'Art in the Park'

, the Olympic Delivery Authority programme of public art across the Olympic Park, The View Tube will welcome

Tomas Klassnik

and

Riitta Ikonen

as the first curators of the

Sparked

series.  Exploring the physical landscape as an organic canvas, this interactive exhibition looks at biological drawing devices, giant seedballs, hidden paths and the UK landscape and heritage.  There is a free activity sheet to go with the exhibition for any young person who visits.

Inspired by

Fantasticology

from The Klassnik Corporation,

We Made That

and Riitta Ikonen, a series of wildflower meadows, which act as a floral celebration of the industrial heritage of the Olympic site. The exhibition will run from

25 November 2011 – 22 January 2012

and is FREE!

Also on 3 December View Tube are offering a fantastic free art workshop for you and your family (suitable age 7-14yrs) with artist Riitta Ikonen.  Drawing on her Sparked exhibition you'll explore the heritage of the Olympic Park and learn how to create your own seed garden card you can take away.  The

morning session is from 10.30am-12pm and the afternoon session is from 1pm - 2.30pm in the

Education Classroom at View Tube.  Limited space available so please book your space on either the morning or afternoon session by emailing info@theviewtube.co.uk

Here is a

map

of where the View Tube is located on The Greenway, Newham, Stratford, East London. The best bet is to take public transport or cycle to the View Tube as there is no parking or vehicle access to the Greenway. The nearest public transport is Pudding Mill Lane DLR, one stop from Stratford. When reaching Pudding Mill Lane DLR, please:

• Exit station and turn immediately left
• Go down short flight of steps and cross the road
• Follow the blue hoardings round to the left
• Go up the tarmac ramp/path to the Greenway
• You can't miss it!

There's also time to sell your amazing craft items at the Christmas craft market, if you'd like a stall, please contact info@theviewtube.com for more details.

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

please follow us on

facebook

and

twitter

and if you haven't seen it already, here's a little video made by View Tube friend

Emma Crouch

about Smy Chutney:

De Beauvoir Christmas Fair - 26 & 27 November

I'll be at the De Beauvoir Christmas Fair on Saturday and Sunday, the 26th and 27th of November so why not come along for a local chance to do some independent Christmas and holiday shopping.  Organised by St Peter's Crypt and De Beauvoir Underground community organisation the flyer speaks for itself but there will also be mulled wine, need I say more.  Go to their

facebook

page to find out more information and here is a

map

of where it is. I'll have my luxury homemade chutney, jelly and jam as well as Christmas items such as:

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

please follow us on

facebook

and

twitter

and if you haven't seen it already, here's a little video made by

Emma Crouch

about Smy Chutney:

Smy Chutney Christmas 2011

It's still a bit early yet but I wanted to share what's on offer this Christmas and holiday season from Smy Chutney.  I like to think that the above images form a little Christmas tree, or perhaps a Christmas tree-trug.  The garden trug hamper comes filled with all sorts of yummy items that will come in handy as a gift or for yourself this Christmas.  They each contain:

• Smy Chutney preserves - 2 chutneys, 1 six-pepper jelly, 1 lemon curd and 1 jam (275g jars, early orders may add preferred flavours to their order)
• Smy Chutney homemade oatcakes - perfect for sampling the fine cheeses and preserves (100g)
• Smy Chutney homemade chocolate covered crystallised ginger - rich combination of flavours (125g)
• Smy Chutney homemade mincemeat shortbread - delicious shortbread biscuits made with Smy Chutney luxury mincemeat that offer an alternative to traditional mince pies (250g)
• Smy Chutney mixed-nuts roasted in six-pepper jelly - utterly morish combination of sweet, spicy and salty (125g)
• Smoked mozzarella from Abruzzo, Italy - delicious cheese that can be served as is or used in cooking (100g)
• Bocconcino di Langa cheese from Piedmont, Italy - gorgeous soft cheese (100g)

I had planned on filling them with champagne, wine and port but alas I discovered that I would need a licence to do so, so the boozy trugs will have to wait until next year.

Hampers are £50 plus shipping and postage and will be delivered from 19-21 December and the final order date is 10 December. Please email if you would prefer to have any hampers delivered at an earlier date or if you would prefer to collect from Central London.

Next up are the large gift boxes (£15) which come with three flavours of Smy Chutney in a lovely gift box.  They were really popular last year and you can choose the flavours to suit yourself or the person you are buying for.

Last but not least are the smaller gift boxes which come with 5 small pots of Smy Chutney and they make a perfect preserves sampler or gift to bring along to a dinner party.  I have also found that people really like these as some people are afraid of committing to larger jars and want to try them first.  Luckily they usually come back to buy the larger cousins to the sample jars and as I tell everyone, the majority of Smy Chutney flavours, with the exception of lemon curd, have very long shelf lives however they won't last that long anyway!

You can find further details and flavour options at

http://www.smychutney.com/shop.html

.  If you come and visit me on a Thursday or Friday at Whitecross St Market I will have other Christmas gift options and my latest flavour experimentations that you can taste.  In case you haven't seen the Smy Chutney video you can watch it here:

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

Pretty Pink Bicycles

19 october

dalston kingsland

super cute

18 october 2011

westland place

saw this out my window and couldn't stop staring at this beautiful bike, had to pop out to take a photo.

15 April 2011

Whitecross St Market

Julia's Bike

Crafty Fox Pop Up at Old Spitalfields - 5th Nov

I'm really pleased to be included in the Crafty Fox Pop Up at the historic Old Spitalfield's in East London on Saturday 5th November. It's part of the "Four Markets in One Day" event and the space will be shared with Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair, Designers Makers and more.  There will be a selection of 50 amazing stalls selling vintage and handmade creations.  There will be also lots of workshops where you can get hands-on and crafty and meet the makers. For example:

11 - 12.30: Handwritten letters with Claire from Letter Lounge
12.30 - 2: Crafty Fun with Stuffed Nonsense
2 - 3.30: Make an origami Fox with Wil of From Chaos Comes Beauty
3.30 - 5: More fun with Stuffed Nonsense

I met Crafty Fox at a Christmas event last year and heard all about their great events and I am really looking forward to the Old Spitalfield's Pop Up.  You can find out more about them on the Crafty Fox blog and The Other Side has also featured the event on their website.  Our good friend Rachel Loves Bob will be there and a long list of the traders can be found here.  I'll also be trading at the Crafty Fox Christmas Market at the Dogstar in Brixton on Saturday 10 December.

The last time I traded here was about seven years ago when my good friend Karmen and I shared a stall; she was selling her amazing bags, accessories and handmade dolls and I was selling my handmade beads and beaded jewellery.  This time around I will be selling my luxury homemade chutney, jelly and jam...which has always been far more popular than my jewellery!

I won't be demonstrating any chutney or jam-making but I will have all my flavours available for tasting, lots of Christmas and gift boxes and my luxury Christmas hamper that you can pre-order for Christmas.

I'm sure by now that you have jotted this down, in ink, in your diary but if not I will leave you with this video of a previous Crafty Fox Pop Up:

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

Butternut Squash and Chorizo Soup

I came back from my last trip to Orford with a butternut squash from Auntie Chrissie's allotment.  I love all manner of squash and find them tasty, indicative of the changing season and also beautiful.  

Meet Buddy the Butternut Squash.  As part of our Ready, Steady, Cook evenings, my friend Aimee brought me a squash several years ago and we gave him a face and a name.  I found it very hard to cook him, but eventually I did.  In our Ready, Steady, Cook nights we each bring ingredients bought for under £5 and they should not involve too much thought but rather what catches your eye, is on offer or in season.  After a catch-up glass of wine or two, both sides unveil their ingredients and a menu is spontaneously put together based on all the ingredients.  It's a brilliant way to try new things....Aims, we are well overdue!

Back to the soup.  I decided to make a soup with the squash and went through the fridge to see what might go well with it.  All the ingredients were ones that I had but substitutions could easily be made accordingly:

Butternut squash - 800g

Chorizo - 200g

Oxtail stock - 500 ml

Peeled plum tomatoes - 1 tin

Red onion - 1

Garlic cloves - 1

Carrot - 1

Celery - 1 stalk

Olive oil - 4 tablespoons

Fresh thyme - large bunch

Smy Chutney six-pepper jelly - 1 heaped teaspoon

Smy Chutney red onion marmalade - 1 heaped teaspoon

salt and pepper to taste

First, I halved the squash and removed the seeds.  

Then I quartered and roasted the butternut squash, after topping it with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh thyme.  I popped it in the top tray of the oven which had been preheated to 200 degrees C.  I left it in there for about half an hour.

While the squash was roasting I chopped one red onion, several garlic cloves and 200g of chorizo.  

I finely shredded a carrot and sliced one celery stalk as thin as I possibly could.  I love the background flavour of celery but do not like it to dominate any dish that I am making.  

The roasting squash filled the flat with such a nice smell and they looked stunning when they were done.  I removed them and allowed them to cool slightly before handling.  

I used the remaining olive oil from the roasting tin that the squash had been in to slowly sweat the red onions.  I then added the garlic and celery and cooked for several minutes before adding the chorizo and cooking for three to four minutes on a low heat.  

I then added a tin of peeled plum tomatoes, increased the heat slightly and left it to gently bubble.

Next I removed the skin from the roasted squash which I then chopped into rough cubes ensuring to keep the roasted thyme. 

The roasted butternut squash and the shredded carrot was added to the pot.

Then I added half a pint of homemade oxtail stock to the pan but you could use vegetable or chicken stock, the stock was left over from an oxtail soup made earlier in the week and needed to be used.  It made the soup a heartier version than if vegetable or chicken stock had been used.  I wanted a bit of spice to the soup so I added a heaping teaspoon full of six-pepper jelly as well as a heaping teaspoon full of red-onion marmalade.  I added half a pint of water, covered the soup and left it on a nice simmer for half-an-hour.  

The butternut squash and chorizo soup was served with a crusty granary bread.

I was really happy with how the soup came out, it was rich, a bit sweet, a bit spicy and full of flavour.  It's fitting that I was reminded of Buddy the butternut squash and Ready, Steady, Cook sessions as now is the time of year when it's so easy and so comforting to have homemade soups at hand.  I find that there are always some potatoes, vegetables or pulses in the kitchen and once combined with a bit of onion, garlic, celery and stock you have a tasty and inexpensive option for lunch or dinner.  I always try make a big batch of soup and freeze portions for those evenings when you may not have time or be bothered to cook.

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.

Pumpkin and Pomegranate Chutney

When I recently visited Orford I took this photo of some pumpkins that my Auntie Chrissie's grew.  I think that they will be used by my cousin's daughter and children in the village for a Halloween celebration and they will make jack-o-lanterns with them.  It's been so suddenly autumnal this week, the leaves are changing, the sky has been blue, the air is crisp and I've debuted my gloves, hat and winter cape.  The hypothalamus in my brain also gets super active this time of year and decides that my normal sleeping patterns are inadequate, that I should probably stay warm by drinking lots of red wine and eating as much as possible.  Having seen some lovely orange pumpkins I thought that I would make a pumpkin chutney.  I was thinking of what ingredient to team up with the pumpkin and with pomegranates being in season I thought that they would nicely accompany one another and that some Asian spices would work with the flavour and texture of the both.

They certainly looked nice and colorful together.

I peeled, deseeded and chopped two pumpkins...

I separated the seeds of two pomegranates...

I added them together with two onions, garam masala, curry powder, some cider vinegar and a bit of water to help the pumpkin to soak up all the lovely flavours.  You can add more or less spices according to your own taste and use less water if you prefer a chunky chutney or more if you prefer a smoother one.

Combine all the ingredients and stir for an hour or so.

Place the chutney while piping hot into sterlised jars and lid.  I ended up with about 16 x 275g jars.

So here are a few of the finished jars.  This week I've been eating the pumpkin and pomegranate chutney with some cheese melted and toasted in a tortilla wrap for lunch.  Well actually, I've been having a range of Smy Chutney cheese wraps for lunch this week and as a snack.  I've had rhubarb chutney, tomato jam, and six-pepper jelly cheese wraps as well, all were very nice if I don't say so myself.  Getting back to the pumpkin and pomegranate chutney, it also went really well as an accompaniment to a chick pea and chorizo rice dish that I make at least once a fortnight. 

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's Smy Chutney.