Originally Posted by jpthequilter
I am an an american who lived overseas.. Hurray for BISTO, which is a can of dried gravy powder! You just add water to it to get gravy or broth base. They don't have it here.
I use lofat sour cream for cream fraiche. Nothing is the same as Devon cream, though.
A Rutabaga is a sweet "turnip like" veggie, peel it, cut it up into cubes and boil it until it is tender. Serve it with butter, because it is much better tasting than a turnip.
Please, do you have a good recipie for peach chutny?
We americans do sometimes make good chutneys.
Oh my goodness, an American who knows what Bisto is! Ahhhh.... Bisto! A catchphrase in Blighty (did you ever see the old adverts?), and as for Devon cream, I hope you treat yourself to the occasional cream tea.
As for chutney, you need help from England, where else? I have consulted my trusty book, Modern Cookery Illustrated, published before the war, so therefore pre-rationing, and checked the recipe for green tomato chutney which I have adapted time and time again to make chutneys of all sorts. Here is the magic formula:-
1lb sugar - ordinary white granulated is fine
1 pint vinegar - white gives a better colour, but no problem with brown
1lb onions
4lbs any fruit and/or vegetables you want
8oz any dried fruit you want
Garlic - as much or as little as you want -try about 4 cloves
Spices - anything you want - such as chopped cystallised ginger, chillies (fresh, dried or powder), cloves, coriander seeds, cardomom pods. Make sure dried spices are crushed first.
Salt
Use a wooden spoon when cooking, and a stainless steel or enamelled pan.
Chop up all the fruit and vegetables and dried fruit as coarsely or as finely as you like. Put everything in a large pan and cook gently until the sugar is dissolved. Then bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture has evaporated to give a thick consistency. Stir frequently to prevent the mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan. When it has cooked long enough, so that when you pass the wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan it leaves a trail that doesn't immediately fill back up with liquid, the chutney is ready to pot.
Don't try the chutney for at least three months. It improves with keeping.
To do a peach chutney, I would suggest using 4lbs peaches and dried apricots for your dried fruit. If you want a nice yellow colour add a couple of teaspoons of turmeric.
Good luck! Let me know how it turns out!