Artisan Edibles’ Apple Fig Ginger Chutney

 As the October daylight diminishes and the trees begin to take on burnished hues of red and orange, it is reassuring to know that one can easily find seasonal comfort foods to heat up the season as the impending winter inches closer. Luckily for those of us struggling with the cooler weather and with the gradual decline in the local produce that we have been enjoying all summer, there is Artisan Edibles’ Apple Fig Ginger Chutney: chutney that offers a savoury/sweet/tart background overlaid with bright sparks of apple, figs, and ginger.

Located in Parksville, BC, Artisan Edibles is a company that takes seemingly ordinary ingredients and transforms them into products that are both familiar and innovative at the same time. It’s no wonder that the Apple Fig Ginger Chutney has proven to be so memorable; owner Maureen Drew says that the recipe is based on an 1848 Mormon recipe for apple chutney that her company has adapted to meet a growing demand for fig products. Due to their tart green taste, Drew uses Granny Smith apples in her chutney recipe, and their firm texture holds up nicely against the more pronounced taste of apple cider vinegar and Black Mission figs. Candied ginger gives the recipe a certain enigmatic “something” that more ordinary chutneys might be missing—a gradual build-up of sweet heat that complements, rather than overwhelms.

Despite its bold flavour, this Apple Fig Ginger Chutney is a reliable kitchen workhorse and will pair with both the familiar and the unexpected.

• This chutney is excellent as an accent to a grilled cheese sandwich—nestled between thin slices of aged white cheddar or aged asiago and hearty whole wheat bread; it provides just the right amount of tart flavour to slightly enhance the zip of the cheeses.
• It makes a serendipitous addition to any Thai-inspired nut butter sauce—use it as an addition to a spicy SunButter sauce or peanut sauce (add the chutney in 2 tablespoon increments to the sauce when you’re combining your ingredients in the blender).
• Serve a beautiful piece of assertive blue cheese such as Bleu de Laqueuille or Poplar Grove’s Tiger Blue with this chutney and you won’t believe how made-for-each-other they’ll taste.
• Used as an accompaniment to roast duck, the dense gaminess of the duck will stand up to the complexity of the chutney without being overwhelmed by the large combination of flavours.
• Roast a head of garlic and then blitz in the food processor with some good chevre and the chutney before spreading on a lightly toasted, thinly sliced baguette and watch as your guests devour them.
• Sauté thinly sliced red onions in a heavy skillet in equal amounts butter and olive oil until fragrant and caramelized. Take off of the heat and stir in a couple of tablespoons of Apple Fig Ginger Chutney. Use to haphazardly adorn a Little Qualicum Island Brie or the most buttery soft brie that you can get your hands on.

Apple Fig Ginger Chutney, and the entire Artisan Edibles line, is available across Canada in fine food stores.

By Ashley Linkletter