Ok, Sooper Heroes. You’ve got all day to sign up for a free jar of McQuade’s Celtic Chutney. Alison McQuade told me that the Fig ‘N Ginger is one of her most popular flavors, and she’s given me 24 jars to give away. I’m excited to see what you all come up with.
Comment on this post, and tell us what you’ll do (make) with the chutney. You don’t have to have a recipe. You don’t even have to have ever eaten chutney before. Tell us what you’re thinking; what you’d like to try; or that you’re just dying to try some of the good stuff.
We’ll pick 24 winners tomorrow night, and post them then.
Can’t wait? Buy McQuade’s Chutney on Blake Makes!
This payment gateway is a little something I’m testing (for a BIG little something we’ll be announcing soon). Stay tuned!
109 Comments
Leave a Reply
Recent Posts
UPDATED: Win A ‘Zesty’ Blog Makeover, But Sign Up Here
UPDATE: ZestyCook.com is experiencing a little server trouble today, but it's happened to me a couple of times, and on...Read More
479 Popcorn + Bee Raw Honey Winners Announced
Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy! To all the winners! Your yummies should be on the way to you shortly. Remember, blog...Read More
Win Some Honey, Honey. Bee Raw Honey Giveaway Today.
Hello, Blake Makers. I've wanted to go to a fancy food show, any fancy food show, for a while now....Read More
479 Popcorn Giveaway Going To Semis!
Wowsers, Blake Makers! I knew things had been quiet for a while, but this giveaway felt like old times. I...Read More
Fig and Ginger Chutney should be part of every woman’s skin care regimen. After cleansing, apply a thin layer of this delectable spread evenly over face and neck. Avoid delicate eye area. Leave on for 5 minutes and thoroughly rinse. The chutney tones and refreshes, leaving skin soft and smooth to the touch….not to mention you will smell edible and delicious all day. JUST KIDDING!!!
Now for my true intended use….Feel as though you are eating at a five star restaurant with this easy recipe… Duck confit on Italian toast topped with fig chutney! YUM! This recipe was adapted from the Food Network Kitchen.
I take 4-6 duck legs, season with fennel seed, thyme, peppercorns, and a bay leaf and then submerged in chicken stock and cook them in a preheated 275 degree oven for about 2/12 hours or until the meat is fork tender and falls off the bone. Then I slice some Italian bread and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and salt and pepper it. Toast the bread in the oven until golden brown. Place the duck on top of toasted bread and top with fig chutney. Excellent!
Do I get points for creativity?
I would stick to something simple like a cheese and pickle sandwich, substituting the pickle for chutney. Think chunky slices of bread, cheddar cheese, a dollop of chutney and a few salad leaves. mmm simple and delicious.
What a good idea… I’m looking forward to creating either a cheesecake or something Moroccan… maybe a lamb shank tagine with fig chutney. Delicious.
In terms of the lamb tagine I would stew the lamb with fresh and dried figs and use the chutney as a delicious accompanyment.
I would probably use it to marinate some tofu, which in turn I would eat with a spoon. Think of all the blogssibilities ™!
Even though it’s Celtic, I would go with Indian route and serve it up with some vegetable samosas. The chutney would complement the potatoes and the dough. I may also use it as a dipping sauce for some garlic naan bread.
As weird as it may say seem, since my mom loves fig newtons, I may use it in making homemade ones or may even spoon some on shortbread cookies. That should be good!
I was thinking of using it in muffins, a sort of sweet/savory breakfast muffin. With a light struesel on top…I am getting hungry just thinking about it…
This sounds something, which could go nicely with oven fresh rye bread and vanilla ice cream, combo I sometimes crave.
Chutney, I bow before thee oh goddess of goodness.
Large shrimp on bamboo skewers wrapped in thin slices of proscuitto basted with fig and ginger chutney, and grilled, served with a side of the chutney for dipping. My mouth is watering thinking about it.
I would love to try this! I think it would be great to make a meatball sauce with!
I guess the purpose of this dish would be to showcase the Chutney so…I would marinade/cover some chicken breasts with the Chutney, pan sear it until golden then bake until just barely cooked. Then serve it on a bed of white rice and some steamed vege on the side, with the juices from cooking spooned over the top to give a 2nd dose of Chutney. This ought to work pretty well, it’s nice and simple with nothing too much to cover up the Chutney, fingers crossed.
This sounds delicious! I’ll be honest, before I read about it, I wondered what those lucky irish could do with chutney, but this looks awesome! I think I would do something with pork loin; use a dry rub of salt, pepper, brown sugar, cumin, ancho chili powder…. grilled until tender! put a few dollops of this delicious sounding chutney on top!
I’d like to do the chutney full justice. So I’d keep it simple – go and raid my local cheesemonger for their finest Scottish cheeses (yes, there are plenty!), and just munch my way through the cheeses with the chutney to find the ultimate combo. Oh, and I might just have a suitable wine to go with it all, too.
Roasted and diced pork tenderloin, rolled up with the chutney in a buttery bread dough and baked for easy to carry with sandwiches. For dessert, oatmeal cookies with chutney stirred in for a great play between the mellow brown sugar and the spicey filling!
i want to go hogwild and not use it as a sauce or marinade or condiment. i’d try it mixed into a batter for a cake or muffins or bar-type dessert–the possibilities are endless!
Holy cow. I was just reading the above and as I wipe the drool off my chin, I realize I have NOT BEEN UTILIZING CHUTNEY TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL.
That said, I think it would be great to make an appetizer out of it–I’m thinking a cream-cheese- (or paneer-) stuffed jalapeno (seeds removed, of course), lightly baked, then served with a dollop of chutney on top!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I just salivated on my keyboard…I’ve got a strange hankerin’ for pork loin right now…
I’m thinking of taking some jumbo shrimp and marinating them in the chutney and then grilling them. I would also use the chutney as a dipping sauce to serve with the shrimp. Sounds yummy now!
I will be honest, I had chutney for the first time last Thanksgiving, and I feel in love with it.
I would keep it simple too, some crackers, brie, and chutney…
Sorry, forgot to include my food blog…
I’m going to make some bite size tarts or turnovers with the chutney,cheese, and either pork or chicken.
http://www.cococooks.blogspot.com
well, i’ve never tried chutney before, but the suggestions above sounds delicious…for me, i guess i’ll keep it simple to savour the full taste of the chutney…so i’ll probably serve the chutney with grilled shrimps, with a side of couscous or pilaf..
Honestly, I am pretty much a novice when it comes to chutney. I’ve eaten it and enjoyed it but have never actually cooked with it. When I saw the ingredients in the fig and ginger chutney, my mind first went goat cheese and then went lamb. So why not both? I think a simply season piece of lamb (haven’t thought out what kind exactly yet), stuffed with goat cheese and chopped with the chutnet would be delicious.
Although duck was mentioned in the first comment, I would also use it, but in a different manner. A nice slow roasted duck breast basted with the chutney, sliced thinly and served in crepes with a small bit of brie. It makes my mouth water.
On weekends in our house, we make idli. Idli is a steamed rice cake that is served in Indian households. Idli is served alongside various chutneys. Fig & Ginger Chutney would be fabulous with idli!!
I would use it for an appetizer of a little round of corn bread topped with thinnly sliced pork tenderloin and a dollop of the the chutney. The perfect bite:)
I think goats cheese too.
I’m thinking pastry shell (gluten free, naturally), layer of fig and ginger chutney across bottom, goats cheese either sliced or shredded and sprinkled, depending on whether it is a hard or soft cheese, and then cooked in the oven to crisp the pastry and melt the cheese.
Or (perhaps and, if I’m being particularly greedy), fig and ginger icecream, served with (gluten free!) ginger biscuits or flapjack. Depending on the size of the chunks in the chutney, might need to blend the chutney a bit first …
Yes…I could go more high-concept, but I would use the chutney to update my never-fail, never-any-left, go-to finger food – Ham Quickies:
*1 Pkg of heat and serve pull-apart rolls or King Hawaiin rolls
*Mix together enough dijon or yellow mustard + mayo to spread thin layer across bottom layer of rolls.
*McQuade’s Chutney (usually poppy seed dressing, but will substitute chutney as the sweet element)
*1-1/2 lbs of thinly sliced ham (I usually use Danish, but also like Black Forest)
*Depending on how much you like cheese, 1/2 to 1 lb thinly sliced Manchego cheese (the usual is Swiss, but I think the chutney will pair beautifully with Manchego).
Halve the rolls. Spread mustard/mayo mixture on bottom layer. Spread Chutney on top layer. Evenly cover bottom layer with ham, top with cheese. Put the top layer on, cover with foil. Pop in the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 350 (long enough for cheese to melt and warmed all the way thru).
Quick, easy, yummy, always appreciated by friends/hosts, easy to transport. It’s a winner.
This sounds absolutely delicious and there are so many wonderful possibilities. Here are a few of my ideas:
To start, I might thin it out with a bit of creme fraiche and create a pretty (and tasty!) swirl in a bowl of butternut squash and carrot soup.
Moving on, I’ll braise a lamb shank and shred the meat, and pile it onto homemade ciabatta spread with fig and ginger chutney and goat cheese (or perhaps brie!), top it with some peppery arugula, and grill to warm and gooey perfection.
For dessert, perhaps a pear crisp dotted with fig and ginger chutney, almond thumbprint cookies filled with the chutney, or white chocolate-fig-and-ginger truffles. Oh baby my tummy is growling!
Ok, so I am new to being a sooper but I am going to give this a shot anyways. I think the chutney would be the perfect marinade for a pork tenderloin. The fruit should infuse the meat with sweetness and the sugar in the chutney should form a nice caramelization on the outside. I would serve it with a sweet potato polenta I have been eyeing for a few days now. Ok, now I am hungry!
Having never had chutney of any flavor before, I would be most excited to try it. I think I would either use it on chicken breasts or on a pork tenderloin. If I was feeling really adventerous, I might use it in chicken salad and substitute it for some of the mayo in it.
Just came up with one more – I think this would be a delicious spread on sweet potato biscuits or as a garnish on a homemade sweet potato chip. That would be a great little hor d’ourve!
I’ve never even tasted Chutney (I had to do some research to see exactly what it was). Hello! I grew up in the south. But, I did a little research and I found that it tastes great with cheese. Perfect, as I am cheese obsessed. I’m thinking an appetizer with a bread/cracker, various cheeses, topped with chutney. I really want to highlight the flavor since I’ve never had it in my life. How exciting!
I am thinking a coffee cake or coffee cake muffins with the chutney swirled into the batter. Including the crunchy topping, New York style of course.
Hey! I have a few ideas…
idea #1: Marinate pork loin with the chutney, and bake with potatoes and apples
idea #2: Fill puff pastry for an hor d’ourve
idea #3: Topping for a savory cheesecake
idea #4: Use it as the sauce for a fig + goat cheese pizza
I’m dying to try that chutney on a nice whole wheat cracker with a good piece of cheese, goat’s or otherwise, with maybe some arugula on top. I think that’s the best way to really taste it. Then I might make a sauce with it to serve with some chicken or maybe with a couscous, or a focaccia, oh, the possibilities!
Fig Chutney and Goat Cheese Tarlets….oh my oh my!!!
OR I might experiment with this fig and chicken dish I like to make over buttered gnocchi. I guess you’ll never know if you don’t pick me!!
I was lying awake till midnight Monday night trying to think of what to do with fig and ginger chutney, haha. I love figs and ginger, but I realised I’d need to taste it to know exactly what flavours would best complement the chutney. So! Three ideas, but there will be rice, and there will be layers. I know that much.
Idea one is a savoury rice pancake made with herbs and things, topped with thin sliced veggies (zucchini? onion?) and a dollop of chutney.
Idea two is a sweet rice pancake flavoured with coconut and fresh ginger, spread with chutney, and topped with a grilled caramelised pineapple and some more fresh ginger.
Idea three is a rice pudding tart with a ginger cookie base, a thick layer of chutney, a thick layer of rice pudding flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg and such tasty things, and topped with another small dollop of chutney and a splash of creme anglaise.
It all depends on whether it’s more figgy, or gingery, or something else, and how sweet it is – but you said no recipe required so I’m taking you at your word! Send me some chutney and we’ll see what works best
I have no experience with chutney, but I am thinking it might be a really nice filling for rugalach (something I really need to try to make!). Not terribly exciting, but definitely something new for me!
Hey Blake
With this chutney, I’d definitely make a cheesecake. I envision a creamy flavor combination of savory and sweet, and something you would not soon forget. The variations are endless. Thanks for a fun category………Your “cookie” buddy……………..Mark
When I think of chutney I think of Chutney and Cheese sandwiches, hearty whole wheat bread some sharp white cheddar, and a thick slathering of chutney, grilled till crispy.
I would also top some thinly sliced baguettes, toasted, topped with goat cheese, chutney and prosciutto. Maybe a few toasted pine nuts for crunch. YUM!
My plan? Well, it’s to help repay my grandparents for taking care of me over the past year and a half when I was too sick to work or take care of the house… they love the old Fig Newton bars, and I would love to try this chutney out in a filling of some sort with the recipe I have! Any leftovers are all mine on cheese tea biscuits
.
Seeing that I live in the South and beach weather is upon us, I am in a sandwich mood. In fact the other day when I went to make this sandwich. I had all of the ingredients for a splendid sandwich, except the chutney! I made baked chicken breasts with an orange curry sauce. I then took the meat off the bone and shredded it. Then I created a baby arugula mayonnaise which I tossed with the chicken. Spread this on a hearty whole wheat or grain bread, with a spreading of the missing ingredient Chutned on one side of the bread. Top with some arugula and you have the makings for the perfect spring sandwich. Oh, I was so close to a great sandwich.
Hmm, if I’ll get one, I’ll make a rice pan with vegetable and this yammi Chutney.
Vegetarian greetings from Germany, Azrael (Nadine)!
I’ve only tried chutney once in my life. My mother had made her own quite a few years ago and then made sandwiches with it and it was perhaps the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted. But I’m sure that was my mom’s fault… not the chutney.
If I was to win this I’d probably cover a pork loin with the chutney and then roast it. And then I’d heat the chutney up to make a bit of a sauce for the pork.
Or… my child and I eat quesadillas for lunch almost everyday so I could do a chutney and brie quesadilla. Yum. And figs count as a fruit right? So my little boy would be eating healthy.
I think this would be great as a topping for a fruit and nut infused chicken curry. Or maybe I’ll just spread it on some cheese and crackers and munch away while I’m watching Tivoed episodes of The Riches…
I’ve got two ideas rolling around in my head right now. One is to use the chutney in a chicken salad – I think it could be SO tasty with the fig and ginger!
My other idea is to use it for a baked brie of some sort. Mmm, makes me start to drool just thinking about it!
I would stretch it into an appetizer and a main dish.. Brie, chutney and puff pastry baked togeather for a perfect Brie bite!
Then I was thinking of a pork loin, too. But I would butterfly it and roll it up with chutney, fresh apples, more figs, and maybe dried apricots and/or even dried cherrys. Tie it all up and rub fresh rosemary all over the outside and sprinkle with some good sea salt. Roast it on the BBQ and enjoy!
Serve with a good wine!
I love that you are giving away the fig/ginger variety, YUM. I would love to make a super healthy version of the fig newton! Or perhaps a batch of fudgy fig chutney brownies… mmmmmmm *drool*
Can’t wait to give it a try!
Ever since you first announced this, the only thing I could think to make this with is thumbprint cookies. After a bit of research, I came across a fantastic looking cream cheese cookie. I think the tartness of the cream cheese would work well with the sweet/spicy of the chutney.
i would definetely use it to make a version of homemade version of my favorite cookies – FIG NEWTONS!!!
I have never used chutney before, but I would adapt a recipe from my uberfabulous Grandma…
Top an 8 oz block of cream cheese with a generous amount of chutney, wrap it all up in some crescent roll dough (or puff pastry if I’m feeling fancy) and bake until the bread is done – then serve with some fruits and crackers and a great vodka tonic.
Shannon