The morning after my cousin Cormac’s wedding last year, we adult children waited as the Auntie’s discussed what to do with a beautiful day in Wicklow. After over an hour of watching the deliberations, my cousin Justine turned to us and said, “It’s like the eff-ing G8, we live in a family of alpha females.”
One of those alpha females is my Aunt Joan. She, along with my father’s sister Eileen, are the role models that inspire me to write, follow a creative path, and always, always be curious. Joanie came with my mother to the States in 1964. She and Eileen were my only Aunties in the U.S., and in a family where I could count on two hands my relatives in the U.S., they are significant.
Growing up in the 80s, processed food was my staple diet — unless we went to stay with Joanie. I would desperately search for snacks, only to find tortilla chips (bland Doritos!), sesame sticks (earthy pretzels!), and garden grown fruits and vegetables (ew, bugs!). She doubled down when she moved to Marin County and introduced me to the whole foods movement, hiking, and open coastal space — including, crashing in sleeping bags on California beaches. What an influence! So, I dedicate this weekly blog to her. And a visit back home to Ireland in 2005, where she shared with me her recipe for Beetroot Chutney, and forever changed my understanding of sustainable living.
Beetroot Chutney
Ingredients
- 300g cooked, diced beetroots [the Oxo food scale in images below are my best friend]
- 200g diced onions
- 200g granny smith apples
- 40g Demerara sugar
- 80ml red wine vinegar
- 1tsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 large clove of garlic minced
- 2TB lemon juice
- 1tsp salt
Combined ingredient into medium sized pot, bring to a bubble, and simmer for 45-60 minutes.
I made twice the recipe because you know, OCD — unless you have a half dozen friends to surprise with beetroot chutney, not recommended! — this recipe should fit in two pint sized jars.
Music vibes: Roots Reggae Spotify Playlist.
Mimosa by Design 