Marcia’s Chutneys
By Stephanie Zonis

If you’re not familiar with chutney, it’s a preserve of fruits and vegetables, with vinegar, sugar, and spices. Chutneys can range from mild to quite hot, and they can do wonders in jazzing up a meal or snack. You can use them as a condiment with all kinds of meats, poultry, and fish; likewise, they go very well with some cheeses and vegetables. You can find chutney in many supermarkets or ethnic food stores, but it won’t be like Marcia’s Chutneys.

That’s because Marcia takes pride in using fresh, local, and seasonal produce. She buys from farmers at her local Farmers’ Market as much as she can, and she has good business relationships with many of these growers. She uses absolutely no corn syrup in her products (look at the ingredients in a large scale manufacturer’s commercial chutney and you’ll surely find corn syrup among them), and organic produce is used as often as possible. By the way, if you don’t care for chutney, Marcia also makes preserves.

What to try here? I’m partial to the Cranberry Apple Chutney, which has a jam consistency but a chunky texture. It’s piquant but not hot, with a definite tart character. If you have leftover turkey but don’t know what to do with it, you can’t go wrong with turkey sandwiches prepared with some of this chutney. I enjoy the Green Tomato Chutney, too. It has a thinner consistency than the Cranberry Apple, with a taste that combines elements of sweet, spicy, and sharp. And if you’re a marmalade fan, you’re in luck. Marcia’s Orange Ginger Marmalade combines the warming flavors of orange, lemon, and ginger in a not-too-sweet preserve. Marcia tells me that she’s begun to expand her marmalade offerings this winter, with Meyer Lemon and Blood Orange varieties.

If you live near Providence, RI, you can find these products at some local Farmers’ Markets (right now, Marcia is selling at the Farmer’s Market at Hope High School). You can also visit her minimalist website for an idea of the types of preserves she makes. You’ll have to call or e-mail to purchase. There’s no online ordering, but that makes sense given that her roster of preserves changes so frequently. Surf over to www.marciaschutneys.com, or call Marcia at (401) 461-7175.