Boys and Beets | Farm Fresh Recipes - Charlotte, NC: Virginia Appetizer - Ham and Apple Chutney on Cornbread Rounds

Virginia Appetizer:

Ham and Apple Chutney on Cornbread Rounds

Cooking club this month had a theme of “hometown favorites.” We were each asked to make a dish based on where we grew up. I took a few different locations and found this recipe to use. I am from Northern Virginia, so therefore, I chose Virginia Ham. Then, I was born in Winchester, VA which is ‘famous’ for its Apple Blossom Festival each year, so the apple chutney was my nod to there. Lastly, both of these are below the Mason-Dixon line, so corn-bread was my reference to the south.

The other ladies made amazing dishes: Megan N. = Boston Baked Beans (from New England), Mary Margaret = Sweet Potato Tart (from North Carolina), and Megan C. = Creamy Tomato Soup (from Indiana) - recipe links at the bottom.

Original Recipe from Epicurious

For corn bread rounds

· 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

· 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

· 2 tablespoons sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

· 2 tablespoons milk

· 1 large egg

For topping

· About 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

· 1/4 lb sliced cooked Virginia country ham*, cut into the same size as the rounds

· Apple Chutney (see below)

Make corn bread rounds:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F.

Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Whisk together butter, milk, and egg in a small bowl, then add to cornmeal mixture and stir just until combined.

Roll out batter in a very thin even layer in a well-greased 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan. (I used Parchment paper and non-stick spray.)

Bake until firm and pale golden, about 15 minutes.

Cut out 16-24 rounds from hot corn bread with cookie cutter and transfer rounds to a rack to cool. (I used a champagne glass, flipped over.)

(Reserve remaining corn bread for another use.)

Top the cornbread rounds:

Spread each round with a thin layer of mustard and top with a ham circles and about 1 teaspoon chutney.

Apple Chutney (makes 1 1/2 cups)

Original Recipe from Epicurious

Apples from Backyard Produce

Ingredients

· 1 Granny Smith apple

· 1 Gala apple

· 3/4 cups vinegar

· 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

· 1/2 large onion, chopped

· 1 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes

· 1 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger

· 1 small bay leaf

· 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

· 1/2 cup raisins

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Peel and core apples, then cut into 1 centimeter chunks.

Simmer apples with remaining ingredients in a large heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until tender and juices have thickened, about 1 hour. Discard bay leaf.