Tastes of September
September is off and running with a return of sunshine and hot summer temperatures. Once again the gardens needed watering and sun-ripened tomatoes piled up on the kitchen counter. Back in my Missouri days, September was always time to get out the canning jars and begin putting up summer’s ripe tomato harvest. But I gave away all of my canning equipment when we headed West in 2021. These days I’m looking for easier ways to cook up small batches of September tomatoes that friends have been sharing from their gardens in the Sierra Foothills.
I love tomato chutney. Some years ago, my friend Sally Sprague gave me a 1983 copy of “Past & Repast: The History and Hospitality of the Missouri Governor’s Mansion.” It has a savory/sweet tomato chutney recipe that I turn to each autumn when tomatoes are ripe on the vine. I love cooking up batches of this condiment that can be frozen in jars until winter, then served on a cold winter’s night with a lemony roasted chicken or pork tenderloin roasted with garlic, olive oil and toasted fennel.
The recipe calls for 7 lbs. of fresh, ripe tomatoes. Combine the tomatoes (quartered) in a large non-aluminum pot, along with 3 lbs. of sugar (I use half that amount), 1 pint cider vinegar, 12 sticks cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons whole cloves. Simmer 6 to 8 hours, stirring every 2 hours. If you have canning materials, spoon into sterilized half-pint jars. Process in a water bath, remove, and listen for the “ping” as the jars seal. That’s it. It makes 3-3 ½ pints of absolutely delicious tomato chutney that will remind you of summer’s bountiful harvest in the winter months ahead.
Autumn is also the time of the year when there are many varieties of apples in local markets. I’ve been eating crisp, red Rainier apples sliced and served on a plate with assorted cheeses and almonds when I get home for my evening visits with Kit at the Lodge. We are deep into Louis L’Amour novel Last of the Breed that I read aloud to him after dinner. It is a grand epic adventure set in the wilds of Siberia that Kit read aloud to our grandson Nico when he first visited us at Boomerang Creek. For Nico who grew up in Madrid, Spain, our five acres in Boone County, MO with woods, meadows, and all manner of critters was an epic adventure of its own that he has never forgotten.
Apples are also delicious baked in muffins or in a cake. Here is a recipe recipe I’ve saved from the days when Jean Carnahan’s “Good Food St. Louis” blog came out monthly. To celebrate the 4th anniversary of her wonderful blog, she searched for just the right cake for the event. At a food blog called Food52.com, Jean found a recipe for “Mama Louisa’s Italian cake” from the Chianti region of Italy. It is simple, light, and subtly enhanced by the addition of grated apples and the zest of a lemon.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 or 10-inch spring form pan. Cream 9 tablespoons butter and 1 C of sugar, adding 3 eggs one at a time. Slowly add 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, 1 C fresh ricotta, the zest of 1 lemon, 1tablespoon baking powder, 1 apple peeled and grated. Bake 25-30 minutes, cool for 10 minutes, and turn it out of the pan. When cool, sift confectioners’ sugar over the top and serve with seasonal fruit. I recommend fresh berries and a scoop of your favorite Vanilla ice cream.
If you make the cake while the tomato chutney is simmering on the stove, it fills the kitchen with the scent of cloves and cinnamon! By late afternoon you’ll have six jars of thick red chutney cooling on a rack and soon thereafter, a delicious looking Italian cake dusted with powdered sugar atop a cake plate. Boy howdy! I’m thinking it’s time to pour a glass of Chianti and sample a slice of Mama Louisa’s Italian cake—a divine end to a delicious day, savoring the tastes of September!