The original recipe for my chutney was a gift from an elderly neighbor over 25 years ago. We were living in an old house in Roland Park that had been converted into apartments. Her place was right across the hall from mine. She shared it with me because I loved coming home to the wonderful aromas resulting from her cooking it all day long - once a year in the summer. She grew her own green tomatoes in the back yard to do it. I’ve been doing it pretty much the same way ever since, but I’ve modified it to have less curie and less heat. I’ve loved giving it at the holidays because I always knew that it was looked forward to by my family and friends. It made me feel so good to give something that was valued, enjoyed and unique to me. It used to take me from 8 to 10 hours to make it – from chopping everything up to the long, long time it took to cook it and to baby it along to its finished state.

Every time I made it in my kitchen it would turn out a little differently because I used what was available locally at the time and because sometimes I’d grind my spices myself.  Sometimes I’d cook the chutney longer than other times. So sometimes it would be better than others. But with it now being professionally produced in small batches for me it will always be the same…year in and year out. I hope that’s a good thing. I’m a little sad not to be making it at home any more. But now I’m hoping to have others find out what a wonderful tasting product my chutney is, and, that they will want to have it on their own shelves. It’s just great to give it away as a gift as well. Remember that it’s got zero fat, and is low is sugar, sodium and carbohydrates. So, it’s also excellent for you to eat. Your family and friends will be ever so pleased to receive it! Enjoy!

Suggested Uses & Recipes

• Take a thick piece of fresh Salmon and cut it to make a long pocket. Put in a nice amount of Charles Street Gourmet green tomato, apple, raisin and onion chutney. Bake it in your oven (you know how you like it cooked so you don’t need me to tell you how long) – then finish it under the broiler just long enough to give it a nice color. Remove from heat and let it rest just for a moment or two. Slice it and place on the place. Serve with some seasoned couscous and maybe some gently cooked fresh green beans and you will have a meal fit for a King in less than 10 minutes.

• Mix 4 ounces of our chutney with 8 ounces of your favorite cream cheese and serve with plain crackers or great bread for a hors d'oeuvre. Serve with hard, sharp cheeses for another delicious hors d'oeuvre. You, and your guests, will delight at the wonderful and different levels of our chutney – a little sweet, a little spicy with a little kick at the end. It has a very nice finish on the tongue.
• Use as a delicious sandwich spread, especially with sliced roasted turkey or baked ham.

• Try it with your favorite cheese, add some fresh greens, and our chutney. Either eliminate the mayo or just use less of it. You won’t miss any flavor but you will reduce calories and fat. Yummy! Another healthy sandwich.

• Instead of jelly on toast, put a bit on your breakfast plate of scrambled eggs and bacon for that certain bit of spicy sweetness.

• Serve as an accompaniment to pork tenderloin or any mild meat.

• Smear on ham as a glaze and bake until meat is hot. Delicious.

• Great as a go-with for an apple pie filler or put some on the plate with a wedge of pie. Add a small bit of cheddar cheese and you’ll have a lovely desert.

• Use the cream cheese & chutney mixture as a topper along with your favorite cinnamon rolls, carrot cake and sweet muffins.

• Warmed chutney over vanilla ice cream is irresistible.

• Add a spoonful to plain or vanilla yogurt to make your own custom flavor.

• A tablespoon with your hot oatmeal makes it a special treat.

Remember – our chutney is fat free, low salt, low carbs and low sugar so you can eat it all the time.