To my mind, green tomatoes just beg to be used in a chutney. They’re naturally tart –becoming a bit sweeter when cooked – and take well to so many different spice combinations. This stuff isn't pretty, but it's so, so tasty. (For a more monochromatic version, use yellow mustard seeds, but don't pop them, and substitute yellow raisins for the Zantes and the red currants. I happen to favor the jewel tones and the crisp flavor of the red currants, which is why I use them in this.) To make this shelf stable, I follow rather strictly the ratio of fruit/onion, sweetener and acid -- vinegar plus lemon in this case -- called for in my favorite recipe for green tomato chutney, in my well-worn 1977 edition of “Stocking Up,” published by the Editors of Organic Gardening (Rodale Press). The spices used here, and the cooking method, which has you “pop” the mustard seeds, and sauté the onion and garlic, are my adaptations. Playing around with spices in a chutney is half the fun, so experiment with whatever suits you. I don’t like chilies, but if you do, add whatever kind and however many you like, at the same time that you add the tomatoes and apples. And whatever you do . . . . enjoy!!

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