Greengage Chutney, Seeded Lavosh Crackers and Cornish Yarg

Wine pairing of the month

Greengage chutney with a cheese and wine pairing? Surely a nice Port will do!

Well.. Port is definitely a great (somewhat safe) choice to go with a broad selection of cheeses, but on this occasion, I think I have a better alternative for you.

Cornish cheese? Why not go for a Cornish wine then! After all, what grows together goes together. It may sound simplistic, but it so does work. Every. Single. Time.

So my recommendation is Camel Valley Bacchus (available in Waitrose), a crisp, clean, dry white, with some subtle floral notes and zingy citrus fruit that will compliment perfectly the tangy cheese and spicy chutney. Camel Valley is a family run winery by the Camel River is Cornwall, a stone’s throw away from Padstow. A beautiful place, producing unique wines.

Cheers!

Recipe of the month

For the greengage chutney

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

500g onions, sliced 

½ green chilli – deseeded and finely chopped 

½ tsp turmeric 

½ tsp mustard seeds 

750g greengages – washed, halved and stones removed 

1 lemon, zested and juiced 

150ml white wine vinegar 

½ tsp salt 

Sugar to taste 

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, ginger and chilli. Sweat over a low heat, stirring to avoid anything catching on the bottom. 

2. Once the onions are soft, add the spices, greengages and salt. Stir then add the vinegar and leave to simmer for approximately 30 minutes. (this may vary depending on the size saucepan you use) Stir regularly until the desired consistency is reached. Aim for a parting of the waves – when a spoon is dragged through the mix and a trail is left.

3. Greengages vary in taste, with some sweeter than others, so try the chutney and add a little sugar if you’d prefer a sweeter flavour 

4. Leave to cool for 10 mins before placing into sterilised jars where it will keep for up to a year. Once opened, store in the fridge and consume within a month. 

For the lavosh

125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 

60g wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting 

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds 

1 tbsp sunflower seeds 

1 tbsp black sesame seeds 

1 tbsp dried oregano 

1 tsp flaky sea salt, crushed 

60ml extra virgin olive oil 

1 tsp sesame oil 

110ml water, plus extra if necessary 

To finish

Extra virgin olive oil 

Sesame oil 

Mixed seeds, such as white or black sesame seeds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds 

Flaky sea salt 

1. Heat the oven to 200°c. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment. 

2. Sift the flours into a mixing bowl, adding any grain left in the sieve to the bowl, and stir in the remaining dry ingredients.  

3. Mix the extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil and water in a jug and add it to the dry ingredients. Bring the mixture together, using a cutlery knife, until it forms a soft but not sticky dough; it may be necessary to add a little more water. Knead the mixture for about a minute, using one hand against the side of the bowl, until smooth. 

4. Dust a work surface and a rolling pin with either plain or wholemeal flour (plain flour makes it easier to roll the dough, but wholemeal gives a lovely flavour and texture). Cut the dough into pieces and roll them. Very thinly, into long strips; it looks nice if they are a little uneven in size and shape, so don’t worry about being accurate with either the cutting or the rolling. 

5. Lay the strips of dough onto the prepared baking sheet and brush liberally with either extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil. Sprinkle over either sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, or a mixture of sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and a good amount of crushed flaky sea salt. 

6. Bake the lavosh on the top shelf of the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until crisp and dry; the timing will very much depend on the size of the pieces. 

7. Transfer the lavosh to a wire rack to cool. Serve with cheese and greengage chutney.