I’ve fallen in love with lacto-fermented chutneys, so much so that I’m considering turning all the vinegar-based chutneys I canned into ketchup (ketchup is basically just pureed chutney). The flavor of these fresh chutneys is so good that I could, and do, eat them straight out of the jar. Plus you get all sorts of health benefits that aren’t in the vinegar versions; lacto-fermented foods have good-for-you bacteria in them, like with yogurt.

The recipe below is a Northeastern locavore’s variation on one by Sally Fallon (I swap in just a little vinegar to replace non-local lemon juice, and local honey instead of Rapadura). This chutney is an especially good use up for the storage apples we’re still getting from local farms at this time of year. But it’s also good made with peaches, cherries, and other fruit.

In January, I had the opportunity to attend Edible Institute, a two day conference about sustainable and local food, and the trip became more enticing when I learned it would be in sunny Santa Barbara. When we arrived, we stepped onto the sun-drenched tarmac and, like flowers, turned our faces to the bright sunlight. Ahhh, sunshine.

Have you ever seen someone burn a rustic-looking bundle of dried herbs to cleanse their new home orwork space? Well, that herb was most likely white sage. Though some people may find this practice alittle odd, burning sacred herbs as a safeguard against evil or negative energy actually dates centuries back to ancient Babylonian practices. In most recent history, Native Americans continued this ritual throughout North and South America and burnt this culturally-sacred herb to ward off negative energy and rid their homes and temples of bad spirits. The botanical word for sage, ‘Salvia’, actually comes fromthe Latin words, meaning “to heal”, and its medicinal properties as well as its natural ability to repel insects (like ladybugs), is probably at the root of its mystical history.

I’ve been visiting Denver since I was a little kid and I always remember fondly the friendly people, the gorgeous weather and the beautiful mountains. However, until recently I did not equate Denver with great food.

Little did I know that my not quite annual trip to Denver to see dear friends would yield some of the most interesting food I’d had all year. Their food scene is happening and sustainable, local food is front and center.