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Catherine's Kitchen

Catherine Manning

Natalie's Wedding

HAVE BEEN WRACKING MY BRAINS (once again) on what to write. My column is so late that I might have missed the boat. Hasn't been a good last two weeks personally and my mind went blank, but then one of my cousins reminded me that it was her parents' 60th wedding anniversary and she is putting together a family 'album' and wanted input from me. Sixty years! 'OUCH!' I didn't last twenty-five!

Well these cousins of mine lived on the south coast in the 'hub' of things, and I, living isolated in the west (as it was at that time) was more than happy to go and spend weekends. They were in a residential area, which then was about four houses. Also my mother was born there and my grandmother still lived there in the family house. Today it is built up so drastically that I pass through in a hurry.

But we had a lot of fun; we could go walking at night and visit friends safely. At Christmas we would go caroling, and also the beach was within walking distance, like two minutes. There was quite a bit of land and my grandmother, who had a dairy farm when her children were growing up, was a very busy woman and very religious to boot, which I'm sure kept her going, after seven children and a difficult married life. However, my grandmother lived to the ripe old age of 93, looking after herself as much as she could. She only succumbed after falling and breaking her hip. What a woman, respected by all.

Granny had a mango tree which produced wonderful mangos, no strings. Get them ripe, we ate them or made jam. Or get them green for:

Mango Chutney 25 half ripe mangos 1lb. raisins 1/4 lb. fresh ginger grated 2oz. garlic or more to taste 1oz. hot peppers 2-1/2 lbs. brown sugar 1lb. onions 1oz. mustard seed Vinegar to cover Currants and dates and prunes may be added if you want, but I don't as I don't like them. If you do want to add them, do 1/2 lb. raisins, 1/2 lb. prunes. 1/2 lb. currants, 1/2 lb, dates or compenstate with your mixture. I tend to add more onions and raisins and garlic; it's all a matter of taste. Salt to taste (1/4 lb.) but don't put it all in at once; season to taste. Chop mangos, cover with vinegar and soak overnight. Chop or mince all other ingredients and add to mangos, vinegar and brown sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add more vinegar, but don't overdo as the fruit will loosen up and give off liquid. Simmer 2-3 hours on a low heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning. When thickened to loose jam-like consistency, bottle and seal in sterilized jars.

I am a firm believer that cooking is up to the individual and their particular taste, so regardless of anything I say here, I would expect readers will experiment and concoct their own recipes to suit themselves.

That's what I do all the time.

Back to my cherry tomatoes that are still going: instead of pulling them up, I think I will cut back and see what happens; they just don't want to stop bearing. I have a freezer full of tomato sauce, whole tomatoes and tomato ketchup. You better believe that I will never buy another bottle of commercial tomato ketchup. I guess the rampant salt air, which has nearly wiped out my basil because of the high winds, has helped the tomatoes! Will I ever know? I doubt it, but many a morning I have had a tomato breakfast, as I have just been picking and eating off the vines, they are so sweet. If you are so lucky as to get your own homegrown tomatoes or even when they are cheap from the market, try this tomato ketchup. You can always add you own seasonings. Hope arthritis doesn't kick in; how could I not eat tomatoes?

Tomato Ketchup Chop 8lbs. unpeeled tomatoes 6 large onions 2 red sweet peppers and garlic 4 cloves garlic crushed I'm a garlic lover, so if I tell you to add four cloves of garlic, I will probably add 10, so suit yourself. Cover with water and boil gently till till vegetables are soft. Liquify in blender and strain. Put mixture in saucepan and add to it, tied in a muslin bag: 1 red pepper 2 bay leaves 1Tbs. chopped celery 1Tbs. mustard seed 1tsp. peppercorns 1 stick of cinnamon Add this, tied in muslin bag, to the juice with one tablespoon of salt. Boil down by half, stirring frequently. Add 4 oz. brown sugar, 4 oz. white sugar and 2 cups vinegar. Simmer 20 minutes or so till the ketchup is at the desired consistency. Seal in hot sterilized jars.

Sorry this column is short, so is time. To Nancy, who wanted me to get working on the Pumpkin with G.....soup, I'm actually working on it; halfway there is better than not there at all!

Bon Appetit
Cath