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

beautiful basics - part 3

I have come across these beautiful and sustainable gardening tools while searching for some spring inspiration!

The team at Bolig Drøm magazine has put me onto groform, a Swedish company that makes beautiful timeless pieces for the garden. groform's philosophy takes local production, thoughtful transportation and environmentally friendly materials into consideration - and creates products that are designed to last from generation to generation.

They also have a blog, and a very nice website.

(images via groform)