This luscious and spicy chutney is easy to prepare and captures the summer sunshine and golden colour of sun ripened peaches. Fresh ginger, garlic and chilli add the zing and depth of flavour that makes this chutney different from traditional-style peach chutney. Our early ripening peach tree produces more than can be eaten fresh, so a batch of Peach and Ginger Chutney is made every year and served as an accompaniment to cold roast meats, ham, pork, chicken or turkey and presented at family BBQ’s throughout the year.
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Summer ripened tomatoes with this blend of aromatic spices produces a rich and intoxicating Indian chutney. It’s simple to make and adds colour, the wow factor and crowning touch when served as an accompaniment to an Indian meal or BBQ. Make it while the tomatoes are plentiful and store in the pantry. This recipe was passed down in a past work colleagues family for generations and shared with me some time ago. This recipe is truly a “gift”, special thanks to Donna’s mum. 
Plum jam is a classic family favourite. When plums are plentiful, make your own plum with this simple recipe. The rich flavour of plums and the high acid and pectin content produces a good set, simply and easily every time - even if you are a beginner. Plum jam can be used beyond morning toast or sandwiches. Enrich your next family roast gravy with a teaspoon of jam, or use as the filling is Swiss rolls, fairy cakes, jam button biscuits or serve with ice-cream.
The fragrant mix of vanilla, cinnamon and cloves with the characteristic sweet but tart flavour of plums produces a truly exotic preserve. Spread it on toast, muffins or croissants for breakfast or for pure indulgence serve with vanilla ice-cream or custard and your favourite mix of fresh summer berries. 
The sweet and tart flavours of plums marry perfectly with the heady spice combination of ginger, cloves and allspice to produce this distinctive chutney. Allspice is the dried berry of the Jamaican pepper tree and it’s used extensively in pickling solutions and in its powdered form in preserves and baking. Often referred to as pimento, it is readily available in the herb and spice section of supermarkets.I used our home grown Santa Rosa plums which produced an intense purple coloured chutney. 
Use dark plums for this Italian inspired pickled plum recipe. The aromatic spices, sweetened vinegar and plum nectar produce an opulent accompaniment. The cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, whole allspice berries and fresh ginger add to its depth and complexity. Serving pickled fruit is traditional in many European cuisines to offset the richness of game meats, duck, turkey, goose, pork and terrines. Pickle a jar or two while they are abundant for a special treat throughout the year, for the Christmas roast or as a special culinary gift. 
Berries herald the beginning of summer and combining strawberries with silvanberries produces a rich complex flavoured jam with underlying blackberry tones. Preserve the taste of summer by making this simple but sumptuous conserve. Spread on hot buttery toast:its intense colour and flavour excites the palette, kindles the heart and fires the imagination. Or serve with pancakes or waffles, with scone and cream for a wicked afternoon treat, with vanilla ice-cream, between heavenly sponges, in fairy cakes and jam tarts. The possibilities are endless. 
Capture the delicate flavour of a Mediterranean summer by preserving your own artichokes. Artichokes where known in Italy by the 15th century and the Italians perfected growing, harvesting, cooking, eating and preserving them. As a botanical and culinary curiosity, it is the unformed flower head that is eaten: not the leaves or root. Preserving artichokes is especially common in Southern Italy where the spring and summer harvest is preserved in oil and used in pasta, pizza or anti pasta platters during the winter months. Preserve your next abundant artichoke harvest with this Italian inspired recipe and discover the joy of mastering the art of preparing artichoke hearts and sharing your home preserve with friends and family. 
During the peak tomato season when the tomatoes are plentiful and full of flavour, I make litres of fresh tomato sauce and preserve it. As a pantry staple it’s always on hand to add to soups and casseroles, lasagne and as a base sauce for baked, stuffed vegetables such globe artichokes, capsicum, cabbages leaves or zucchini. Best of all though, within minutes, it can be reheated and tossed with freshly cooked pasta, extra fresh basil and served with parmesan cheese for a quick, healthy meal on days when I’ve had a full day in the garden and come in tired and hungry.