It's the full moon. Last night, the glorious orb rising in the sky was so large it almost seemed like an intruding guest on the horizon- its reflection shimmering across the bay. In the agrarian year, there are thirteen lunar cycles. Most of the cultures of the world have names for each of the moons. These names vary depending on the culture- so for instance, many of the native tribes of the pacific northwest have moon names that refer to salmon, while agriculturalists of the Southwest have many moon names that refer to corn.
In her book, Full Moon Feast, Jessica Prentice explores each moon cycle. The moon that we are entering now was called the Snow Moon in sixteenth-century England. It was the time when the first snows began to fall- when people were gathering there last stores of food for winter and preserving the last of the harvest.
Almost every culture around the world has a traditionally "cultured" food- which is how people preserved food before modern canning and refrigeration. Much of the world depends on lacto-fermented vegetables to help the body digest the meat-heavy diet of winter, when fresh fruits and vegetables are scarce. These foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut were traditionally made with whey, which allows a slow careful decay- by introducing micro-organisms that our bodies need. With the introduction of pasteurization, people became obsessed with "sanitized" food. Food began to be cooked at high temperatures, killing all of the helpful bacteria, leaving our bodies susceptible to viruses and harmful bacteria. The lactobacilli in traditionally fermented vegetables and fruits enhance their digestibility, increasing their vitamin levels and restoring the healthy partnership between our bodies and the billions of microscopic organisms which we need to stay healthy*
To make the whey for these recipes, simply put a quart or so of live, organic, whole-milk yogurt in a colander lined with cheesecloth. Let it sit over night in a bowl. The liquid that drains out is whey- in the cheesecloth is yogurt cheese- which you can use like cream cheese- it's delicious!
Here are two recipes for chutneys. One is lacto-fermented, the other is cooked. You could make the persimmon chutney in the same way the cranberry chutney was made- I just wanted to present two styles. They would both be delicious with turkey, so you can start some of your Thanksgiving cooking now! The persimmon chutney I made with Fuyu persimmons because I have such a surplus, but you could also make with Hachiyas- it would be more jam like.
Make sure to use organic cranberries, yes they're much more expensive, but it's worth it. Cranberries are grown in big bogs, which means that conventional cranberries are sprayed with pesticides by saturating the entire bog in toxic chemicals. As Dan Wandler, a cranberry farmer in Wisconsin says of the difference between organic and conventional,
"After we used to spray the bog, you didn't hear a sound for two weeks. You knew you'd killed something. Now the bog is full of sound. There are beneficial insects, and that means the frogs have something to eat."
ORANGE CRANBERRY CHUTNEY:
1 1/2 pounds fresh cranberries coarsely chopped in food processor.
1/2 cup filtered water
grated rind of two oranges
juice of two lemons
1/2 cup dark raisins
1 bosc pear- diced
1 red onion- chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tbsp. brown mustard seeds
1-1/2 cup sucanat
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup whey
Mix the water, lemon juice, sucanat, salt and whey. Add the cranberries, pear, and raisins and spices and mix well. Press the mixture into quart, wide-mouthed jars. Press the mixture down, adding more water if necessary to cover the fruit. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days before transferring to the fridge. It will keep for 2 months in the fridge.
" Spice a dish with love and it pleases every palate" - Plautus, Casina, 200 B.C.
PERSIMMON LIME CHUTNEY:
6 large ripe persimmons
1 small onion chopped
1 jalapeño chili chopped
1 tsp. celery seeds
1/2 cup dates, chopped
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
1/3 cup sucanat (or other unprocessed sugar)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lime
Combine all ingredients, except persimmons in a pot- bring to a boil and simmer for at least a half an hour. Add peeled persimmons and boil slowly until it thickens- about 20 minutes more. Pour into hot sterilized jars. Makes about a pint.
*If you're interested in making sauerkraut, kimchi, or other lacto-fermented foods you can look at Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
