Tomato Chutney

This is one of those multiple-step recipes that I really hate to post, but it’s just too good not to.

Tomato Chutney

1 orange pepper (capsicum) roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 Walla Walla sweet onion (or other sweet onion) chopped and caramelized
2 lbs. Roma tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 medium lemon, blanched, chopped, and seeded
½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
½ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground allspice
pinch ground cumin
½ cup sultanas (yellow raisins)
red pepper flakes to taste
sea salt to taste
balsamic vinegar to taste

While roasting the pepper, start caramelizing the onion in a sauté or other pan large enough to hold everything. Meanwhile, blanch, peel, seed, and chop the tomatoes and set aside for later. After the pepper is finished roasting and resting, peel, seed, and chop it. Blanch, chop, and seed the lemon. Once the onions are caramelized to your satisfaction–it took me about 45 minutes–add the pepper, tomatoes, and lemon. Stir a bit, then add the ginger, sugar, spices (use more or less as you prefer), and sultanas. Continue to cook, stirring now and then, until the tomato liquid is mostly gone. Add some red pepper flakes and sea salt, taste, and adjust until you’ve achieved enough heat and flavor. If you decide it needs a bit more depth add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Store refrigerated up to 10 days.