SPICED PEAR CHUTNEY with ginger, cardamom, and ghee

This is one of my favorite, really basic recipes for the late autumn and winter season. It's sweet, warm, and filled with aromatic spices that heat the body from the inside out.

[THE RECIPE]

8 ripe or very ripe pears, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/4 c. ghee
1 - 3 T. coconut sugar or maple syrup, depending on sweetness desired
1/4 - 1/2 c. water
1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh ginger or 1 tsp. dried ginger
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom seed
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
large pinch or two of Ceylon cinnamon

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

pinch of freshly ground cloves

8 whole medjool dates, pitted and thinly sliced

Peel pears with knife or vegetable peeler. Cut into small, 1-inch chunks and set aside.

In a medium-large pot* over low heat, combine ghee and coconut sugar or syrup. Once the ghee has melted and sugar has been mixed in, add cubed pears, water, ginger, cardamom, and sea salt. Stir to combine. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pears have become very soft but still hold their shape [approximately 30 minutes]. Check for flavor at about the 15 minute mark and adjust as needed [more spices, more water, more sweetener]. Add dates when there is 10 minutes left of cooking time remaining.

Remove from heat and let cool about 10 minutes or until chutney is warm but not hot. Serve warm. Top with additional dates slices and fresh, minced or very thinly sliced ginger.

*You could also make this in a Crock-pot. Mix together all ingredients in Crock-pot, cover and cook for 2 - 3 hours on high or until pears are very soft but hold their shape.

PARSNIP CHIPS

Ahhh fall. If you've followed this blog through this season before you know it is without a doubt my favorite. Pumpkins and pumpkin everything, apples, squash, cool nights, warm days, spiced cider, chai, school supplies, soups......pure bliss.

This recipe stems from the root veggie parade that wraps up the growing season. Never a fan of roots in the past, with a little practice they have slipped their way up as some of my very favorite foods, parsnip chips ranking near the top.

[RIGHT ON PAR]

If you've never had a parsnip you really are in for a treat. Parsnips look like their carrot cousin but are a bit more mature, hosting a sweeter, nuttier flavor. And they come at just the right time.  The most effective way to warm the body is from the inside out, something these and other root vegetables are amazingly good at. As the air gets cooler and damper, the warming properties of parsnips help resolve these conditions in our bodies. They're a good source of calcium, vitamin A and C, and potassium and are relatively high in silicon and fiber [the insoluble kind].  

So, get these in the oven, grab a cup of tea and a really good book or the family, some friends, and a picnic basket, and take in every single ounce of this season. Play outside as much as possible. Try your hand at apple or pear sauce [it's too easy not to!], eat a salad [like twice a day because soon you'll salivate at the thought of fresh greens], and carve a pumpkin. Walk through the woods or around the block. Sit by a campfire. Light your favorite fall-scented candle. Decorate with mums and gourds and corn and hay. Most of all forget that winter is around the corner and simply enjoy what is right now - beauty everywhere.

[THE RECIPE]

3 - 4 large parsnips, scrubbed and cut into very thin slices*
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
spice blend of choice [I really like equal parts black pepper, onion powder, paprika; 1/2 parts garlic powder and turmeric; and a dash or so ground rosemary, ground thyme, ground basil]

Place cut parsnips on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle a couple tablespoons worth of olive oil over the parsnips and sprinkle a teaspoon or so of salt and a teaspoon or so of spice blend. Toss well until parsnips are thoroughly coated, adding more oil, salt, and spice as needed. Test a chip and adjust flavors accordingly.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes. You'll want to watch them closely because baking time will vary depending on parsnip slice thickness.

When they are golden brown [not dark brown or black] and crispy, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

Enjoy plain or with your dip!

*When I purchase organically I tend to not peel parsnips, carrots, beets, etc. and opt to scrub them really well instead. Many essential nutrients lie just beneath the peel and most peelers remove those nutrients with the peel.