by Dawn Ritchie 
When the dips come out, a festive event is about to begin. Chutneys, relishes, and tapenades are featured condiments on party tables and are all about abundance. Abundance in the harvest, in flavor profiles, and in relationships.
It’s curious that while we all enjoy a good chutney or tapenade at an event, they tend not to be part of our everyday dining experience. Packed with flavor and a stiff kick to the taste buds, they predictably elicit ooh, ah, or yum! responses. So, why on earth do we deny ourselves these delights daily?
It’s time to change all that. The following recipes can be thrown together quickly, and they are a sophisticated prelude to any meal. Setting aside an afternoon for a marathon preparation session can be a party in and of itself. Bring wine.
Mint Chutney
My kitchen smells like summer. Fresh mint, cilantro, limes, and garlic fill the air with piquant freshness. I’m making mint chutney. It’s a dressing that is so easy to throw together it can be done in small batches for single use. It’s also a wonderful way to consume the two herbs that grow prolifically and can take over a garden if you don’t continue harvesting them regularly. I have a lot of mint and cilantro in my garden and need to get rid of it. You can only drink so many mojitos.
Mint chutney is a must-have for lamb and fish and as a condiment for samosas or crispy papadums. Use a blender, toss in all ingredients, and let ’er rip. A mint chutney dressing for a plate of lamb ribs turns an ordinary dish into a culinary experience. It helps to ameliorate that muttony aftertaste. Use also as a dip for savory wafers and chips.
1 bunch fresh mint (8 ounces compressed leaves)
1 bunch fresh cilantro (8 ounces compressed leaves)
6 fresh garlic cloves
2 shallots
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1–2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons ice water
½ teaspoon cumin
Pinch of salt, to taste
Strip leaves from the stems of the mint and cilantro. Discard stems. Peel garlic and shallots. Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend on medium to emulsify. Done!
Condiments Are the Spice of Life
It’s early September, in the mad throes of the fall harvest, and I find myself in the kitchen of my dear friend Rachel. We are attacking a batch of chutneys and tapenades in a team effort. The kitchen is overflowing with hot red peppers, corn sliced fresh off the cob, glistening black olives, ripe mangoes, fresh ginger, and bottles of organic cold-pressed olive oil. A canner is bubbling away with anticipation of hot jars ready to be preserved, and a food processor is already purring. We are drinking delicious honey-laced green tea and laughing . . . a lot.
The main work ahead is peeling and chopping. Do your prep work in advance. Then the food processing and cooking down are quick and easy. We start by assembling a series of bowls and chopping boards. The countertops look like the stuff of a cooking show.
We have four dips to prepare. Try your hand at these recipes and remember to experiment a little on your own. Add a favorite spice or remove one from the recipe that you dislike. Experiment, always.
Here’s a fall table relish, a sweet chutney, a hot jelly, and savory tapenade.
Mango Chutney
First up is a mango chutney, something every cook should have in their refrigerator. It’s sweet, spicy, and not just a condiment for Indian food. Mango chutney complements any meal and can often be the saving grace when you’ve made a chicken that’s a little dried out. Smear a spoonful of mango chutney atop a slice of poultry and all is forgiven. A dollop on a pork chop will excite. It is also useful as a sandwich spread, topping for appetizers, table condiment, and a tasty glaze for ham in the final stages of roasting.
As with all these recipes, the best practice is to use a heavy-bottomed pot on the stove. Mango chutney takes a bit more time than the other recipes offered here. So, pace yourself and enjoy the luscious aroma that will soon fill your home.
2 large mangoes (more on the unripe side)
½ cup water
½ cup of cider vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 garlic clove, peeled and pulverized to a paste
¼ cup peeled and finely minced fresh ginger
5‒7 peppercorns
¼ teaspoon dried chilies (or crushed flakes)
¼ teaspoon cumin or ½ teaspoon roasted cumin seeds
4 cardamom pods
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick (or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Optional additions:
½ teaspoon nigella seeds or black onion seeds
¼ cup sultanas
½ apple
¼ teaspoon cloves
Chop all ingredients in advance. Peel and slice the mangoes into rough-size portions. I would say cube the mangoes, but I’ve never square-cubed a fruit or vegetable since a Zen chef told me they should be cut at odd angles to encompass the full energy and spirit within each piece. I don’t know if this is true or not, but the fruits and veggies certainly are more attractive and feel less industrialized.
Next, bring water, cider vinegar, and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot to a boil. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices (peppercorns, chillies, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt).
Cook until the sugar dissolves, then add the mangoes. Bring to a full rolling boil.
Boil for 2‒3 minutes, stirring all the while. Lower temperature and simmer for approximately 20‒25 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not let the bottom caramelize. Keep it moving. The fruit will soften and some of it will break down. You want to reduce the fluid considerably and have some of the mango still hold its structure. Remove cinnamon stick and cardamom pods as the sauce starts to thicken. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
Remove from heat just before fully thickened. It should be just slightly runny. As the chutney cools, it will continue to thicken.
To preserve, fill hot jars, leaving ¼ inch of space, and process in a water bath for 15 minutes. It will keep for months. Makes 1 pint.
This is a warm and spicy chutney with crunchy little ginger pieces and a complexity of flavors. There is just the slightest hint of heat. A perfect complement to a savory dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Olive Tapenade
A traditional Provençal tapenade is a tasty puree consisting of olives, capers, anchovies, and olive oil that is served as a topping for crudité or crackers. It can also be utilized as a stuffing for chicken or fish. It is ubiquitous in French and Italian cooking, and you’ll often find it as a precursor to a meal at fine-dining establishments.
Tapenade is a perfect appetizer topping, especially paired with cream cheese. Top with a sprig of parsley, chives, thyme, or fresh veggies. Try also as a topping for homemade pizza or as a stuffing for poultry and fish. Tapenade is fabulous to take to a potluck as an appetizer, surrounded by crackers or crostini. The appearance may give pause to unadventurous or picky eaters, so tell your guests what they are sampling by labeling a cheese marker.
Prep time is a mere 10 minutes.
2 teaspoons capers
2‒3 garlic cloves
1½ cups pitted kalamata olives, drained (can be substituted with black or green olives or any mixture you so choose)
2 anchovies (rinse for less salt)
Juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced parsley
Optional additions:
Sun-dried tomatoes to taste
Fresh chopped onion to taste
In a blender or food processor, add the capers, garlic cloves, olives, and anchovies. Puree. Squeeze in lemon juice and lemon zest. Pulse a few times to incorporate. Oil is added at the end. Pulse a few times to finish. You don’t want the oil to emulsify. It is more of a base for the olive and caper mix to swim in. Use a spatula to scrape into a bowl. It will keep for 1 week, refrigerated. Makes about 1 cup.
To Use as a Bread Dip
Spoon a generous portion of tapenade into a shallow bowl and drizzle more olive oil on top to loosen the paste and restructure it. Sprinkle finely minced parsley to garnish, and freshen with a squirt of lemon and bit of lemon zest. You can also add chopped walnuts or chopped tomatoes to the mixture as well. Presentation, presentation, presentation!
Carnival Corn Relish
Have you ever munched on a raw ear of corn? It’s scrumptious. Sweet, crunchy, and juicy all at once. So why do we boil it to death? All you end up with is texture. Corn on the cob should never be cooked longer than three minutes. But if you must, then make it into a relish.
Grow your own non-GMO corn. The rows of kernels will be imperfect, but the flavor, superior. Buy seed from organic seed catalogs. Plant squash around the corn. The prickly leaves keep squirrels at bay.
Carnival corn relish, a Southwestern favorite, can be prepared as a preserved, cooked relish or as a cold, uncooked relish. It’s a great sandwich topping, especially paired with a tomato. Wonderful on burgers and hotdogs and beautiful on fish. Use as a side condiment for any meal.
Since fresh corn is best at autumn, follow this cooked recipe to enjoy it year-round on your hamburgers, on your sandwiches, and as a side condiment to cold meats. The relish will mellow in the jar. It will keep two weeks after opening.
For the cooked version:
5 ears of fresh corn
2 red hot serrano peppers
¼ cup green bell pepper
½ cup red onion
¼ cup cilantro
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup cider vinegar
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup light brown sugar (compressed)
¼ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon pickling salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Slice the corn off fresh cobs. Clean and finely chop peppers, onion, and cilantro. Mince garlic. Heat vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, add all the ingredients and spices, except for the cilantro. Cook until most of the liquid evaporates, around 20 minutes. Stir frequently. Add cilantro at the end.
Sterilize preserving jars. Ladle relish into hot jam jars, leaving ¼ inch of room at the top. Seal with lids and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Makes about 4 cups, depending on the size of the vegetables.
For the uncooked version:
Use the same ingredients as for the cooked version, but add chopped tomato, substitute white vinegar for cider vinegar, and reduce garlic to 1 clove. It becomes more ceviche-like.
Hot Pepper Jelly
If you’re looking for more heat, this is the recipe for you. Hot pepper jelly has the gorgeous appearance of stained glass. Divine on chicken, fish, a ham sandwich, or simply on a cracker.
6 red hot chili peppers, seeds and all
3 long peppers (red and orange)
½ cup lemon juice
1 cup apple cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
2 packets liquid pectin (Certo), 3 ounces each
Mince all peppers to a fine consistency. No hunks! Add lemon juice and vinegar to a heavy-bottomed pot. Heat, adding the sugar slowly. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add liquid pectin. Keep a close eye to ensure it has a nice rolling boil. It looks like roiling lava. Cook until a gel stage has been reached. Check for a jam-like consistency with the back of a cold spoon. Skim any foam on top. Makes about 3½ cups, depending on the size of the peppers.
Process in hot jars in a water bath for 15 minutes.
Bon appétit!