Well, we made Blake Makes history. The chutney giveaway post got more comments than any other post in our history, so you all get a pat on the back, and a WOWSERS from me.

We had a really tough time deciding the winners. Bridget and I printed out all the comments, sat in our living room, and discussed them back and forth.

All of your ideas were great. They ranged from just plain yummy, to the innovative and creative, and some were quite unexpected.

We came to a decision late tonight, and were finally able to agree upon the final 24, which are listed below. The winners will be notified by e-mail over the weekend, and the chutney will be shipped out next week.

As we move forward, this post will shift down the page as it’s archived, but I’ll post an update to this post as the winners blog about their winnings.

THANK YOU to everyone that participated. If you didn’t win this time, don’t be blue. We’ve got tons more free food on the way. To all the winners, CONGRATULATIONS! Post when you can, and make sure you’re a registered Sooper Hero.

Check out the winners after the break:

Ashleigh:

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?

Ellie:

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.

Rona:

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…

Nicole:

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!!

Paula:

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:)

Lucy:

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 …

Amber:

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.

Cara:

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!

Sarah C.:

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!

Judith:

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

Kim:

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.

Danielle:

I would love to make a wonderful pork chop meal with this for my DH.

It’s his birthday tomorrow and I would love to make him a meal with chutney-based dishes. I would start out with a recipe from about.com called simply “Pork Chops with Chutney Sauce” and would sub the McQuade’s Celtic Chutney: Fig & Ginger for the mango or peach chutney in the recipe.

I would than make a tartlette similar to the crostata that you made for dessert in place of a birthday cake and would include candles and all so that we could sing happy birthday to him. I would somehow incorporate the ginger in with the pastry and than fill it with the McQuade’s Celtic Chutney: Fig & Ginger and a few other basic ingredients.

I would, of course, blog every moment out of it and make sure that everyone knew I used McQuade’s Celtic Chutney: Fig & Ginger!

Kelly:

I’d love to try this chutney as a glaze on slow-cooked spare ribs!! Think of the sweet, spicy, sticky possibilities!

Kelly
Sounding My Barbaric Gulp!

Dolores:

A couple of ideas…

1. I make a fresh fig/mascarpone/pesto tart that I got from gourmet magazine. It employs a jar of fig preserves.. I think the chutney would make a sensational substitute.

2. I’m “cooking from Keller” in the month of April. The chutney would *rock* atop his blini.

That’s all I’ve got.

Danielle:

India meets Ireland in what I have planned for this chutney! A play on the favorite Indian appetizer that contains a spicy blend of potatoes, peas, chili, onion, ginger, cumin, coriander, and garam masala in a flaky pastry crust. I have combined it with the American love of casseroles, and turned it into Samosa Pot Pie. Usually, I serve this with a drizzle of tamarind chutney, but fig & ginger would be amazing I think.

If you send a jar, I’ll be sure to blog about it and post it with the Samosa Pot Pie recipe. I’m excited to see what other people have concocted with it as well. Good luck to everyone!

Patrick Miller:

Foie. If I make a terrine, Ill loosen it up and use it as a dressing for some greens, or just leave it alone and serve it with some grilled bread. If I do seared foie, Ill use it to glaze the foie. Maybe serve it over a sunchoke and tonka bean custard with some tonka bean-poached rhubarb. Yeah, I went there. I couldn’t write about pork for the 45th time on here.

Peabody:

A panni of thinly sliced pork, cambozola cheese and the chutney.

Natalie:

Well, I stopped reading the suggestions after a page because it’s lunch time and I’m huuuuuungry.

I’d love to try the fig ‘n ginger chutney in a curried chicken salad. Put it on some mini croissants for a semi-fancy lunch or even some small tart shells.

(And there’s always putting it on a turkey/cheese sandwich – we love those with a Ginger Wasabi sauce, and I imagine the chutney would be fantastic too!)

Gumbeaux Gal:

MMMM. I love figs and I love chutney!

I would have to turn it into a vinaigrette dressing for a salad of poached pears, rocket, and goat’s milk cheese.

Then, I would try it on my fig n’ cheese sandwich! http://gumbeauxkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/03/dinner-for-one-fig-and-cheese-sandwich.html

Of course, the above will happen only if I don’t eat the whole jar straightaway upon receipt!

Whitney:

For the past few days, I’ve been thinking about my favorite bagel from college — wheat with melted brie cheese and raspberry jam…

I’m thinking that the chutney would be a wonderful bagel topper after first toasting and adding a coat of fresh goat cheese!

Sara:

Yum, this chutney looks absolutely delicious! If I get sent the chutney, I will make samosas to eat it with. I made samosas once before and although they were a lot of work, they were definitely worth it and would be even more worth it with this chutney! The recipe I used is from Mollie Katzen. First, you make a filling made up of potatoes, peas, and spices. Then, you make a soft dough that you roll out and cut into circles. You then fill the circles with a spoonful of the filling and seal. And finally, the most fun part is deep frying the samosas! These were absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to try them with the fig and ginger chutney…I know it will be fabulous and much appreciated by my housemates!

The Airy Fairy:

i’m irish…surely that should qualify me to get a jar!!!
seriously though i need to think of it in a cupcake so my thoughts are going with a savoury goats cheese and chutney cupcake or a sweet ricotta and chutney cupcake. i’m happy to explore either one of course!
it is ironic that although this is celtic chutney it’s not available here! so send one over to the deprived celts…pur-lease!

Lindsey:

I think I would roast a ham using the chutney as a glaze. That sounds good to me!!

or maybe a sandwich with roasted turkey, with sliced pears, brie cheese and the chutney.

Gabriel:

With a whole jar, I would be forced to try this out on more than one things.

My first inclination when I saw this was too expand upon an hors d’oevre I tried at a catered event in the Baltimore Botanical Garden: chevre balls glazed in honey. My thought was to recreate the chevre balls, but glaze them with the chutney instead, and top with fried shallots.

I also want to try this with either lamb chops or pork tenderloin. I think either would go really stunningly with the chutney as a glaze.

Can Chutney be used to make a vinaigrette? I certainly would like to try.

Hope you pick me