Welcome to Jacican
I love to cook, I've always loved to cook.
As a young girl, my time was spent reading the cookbooks that mum kept in the bottom kitchen drawer. Always looking for a new recipe to try, a new food idea. Many weekends were spent making rainbow cakes with as many colours as possible – have you seen my Instagram, not much has changed, and looking for recipes that I could cook using what was available in the cupboard or from the vegetable garden.
At the aged of about 16, I remember stating that I wanted to leave the farm and travel the world. This would be followed by retiring by about 30 and moving back to South Gippsland to grow vegetables and cook. From 16 fast forward 20 years and I returned, starting Jacican Food Studio in Mirboo North, Gippsland where I grow vegetables and cook. This blog is where I share my food adventure.
Each year, I end up with more zucchini than I know what to do with - yellow ones, black ones, round ones and two shades of green.
A couple of years ago, the next door neighbor's mother (yes, everyone in Mirboo North makes a contribution to what I'm doing) suggested that I make a Curried Zucchini Relish. This recipe made six-and-a-half 250-gram jars. If you would like to make your own, come along to a summer preserving class and go home with your own jars.
Ingredients
- 1 kg zucchini
- 500 grams onion, peeled
- 70 grams salt
- 570 ml vinegar
- 320 grams brown sugar
- 70 grams arrowroot
- 10 grams turmeric
- 10 grams mustard powder
- 10 grams curry powder
- 5 grams ground ginger
- 5 grams paprika, mild
- 150 ml vinegar, extra
Method
Dice zucchini and chop the onion. Combine in a non-corrosive container. I use a large plastic bucket that fits in the fridge.
Sprinkle with salt and cover with tap water. Leave overnight in the fridge.
Drain the mixture well the next day.
Place vinegar in a large pan with sugar. Heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil.
Add the zucchini and onion to the pan.
In a separate bowl, mix arrowroot with spices and extra vinegar to form a paste. Add the paste to the pan.
Return to the boil for 10 minutes.
Bottle and seal in hot sterilized jars.
Makes 6 x 250ml jars.
If you would like to sample, you can find curried zucchini relish on the shelves at Jacican, or pop along to a summer preserving class and feel free to make a batch of your own.
