sweet and spicy.

I thought this week I would share with you one of my Mothers best recipes - it's simple, sweet, and just the right amount of spicy.

Of course, this time of year you will need to buy the hot peppers from a market or grocery store, but I would encourage you to start a small pepper plant this spring if that's possible for you.

Every year my Mom does a great big batch of this relish with the hot peppers from her garden; and each time I try to replicate it - I can never get the bite quite right. I always attribute this to the fresh garden peppers and my impatience and/or lack of garden space...( but then again, there is always that special something that Moms and Grandmas do to their recipies that makes them near impossible to replicate ♥).

Soooo yummy!

Sweet and Spicy Relish

You will need:

6 jalapeno peppers, chopped

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1 1/3 cups (330 ml) apple cider vinegar

4 small yellow onions, chopped

1/4 cup (25 g) of carrots, chopped

1 teaspoon dill seed (or 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill with stems)

1 teaspoon mustard seed

In a saucepan, add apple cider vinegar and sugar over low heat. Mix until sugar is dissolved.

Add jalapeno peppers, onion and carrots and bring the mixture to a boil.

Add mustard and dill.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Serve or package!

*makes about five 250ml jars of relish

*Cook’s tip:

Wash peppers: soak in 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar for 10 minutes. Rinse. Always wear gloves to cut up jalapeno peppers to prevent skin irritation and burning!

Food and Styling:Tara Ballantyne

Photography: Sturla Bakken

january recipe.

Okay. I did it.

I went to an apple farm and bought a large basket of apples that I am not sure what to do with exactly.

The price was right, and they looked so fresh and tempting…(please omit Eve or Snow White reference here).

Besides keeping the doctor away, I am at a loss of how to use up these red beauties before they spoil. So here is a recipe that I looked up from a year ago shot with my dear friend and photographer Trine Thorsen.

So yummy with coffee or as desert!

cinnamon apple cake

you will need:

7 small apples

1 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

2 3/4 cups flour, sifted

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped out

4 eggs

Peel, core and chop apples into small chunks. Stir together sugar and cinnamon and toss with apples to coat. Set bowl aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a smaller bowl whisk together oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla bean.

Pour wet ingredients over dry, and stir to combine (mixture will be thick).

Add eggs one at a time, being sure to incorporate fully with each addition.

assembly:

Pour half of the batter into the prepared flute pan. Spread half of the apple chunks over the top. Cover apples with remaining batter, and finally, top with the rest of the remaining apples.

Bake in a 350 F degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

*makes 1 apple cake!

food and styling: Tara Ballantyne

photography: Trine Thorsen