I found an old card--quite stained--and titled "Nellie Parkinson's Chili Sauce." A flood of memories came over me--as this was a favorite recipe of my Grandma Lenore.
As a child--many summer months were spent in sand country in central Wisconsin at my grandparents' Christmas tree farm. A small cottage built by my grandfather, nestled in 30 acres of pines of all types that were planted and groomed and harvested for Xmas trees. Surrounding neighbors--not even close to earshot-- lived on farms--mostly planted for Green Giant and Birdsye crops. There were many year round residents--this was working farm area--not a resort community. One of the neighbors was Nellie Parkinson.
Nellie was old when we knew her. I have no clue how Grandma Lenore got to know her--but since Lenore could get the body to talk back to her at a wake--she must have struck up a conversation with Nellie in the grocery store or laundromat. Lenore was a superb cook--and she probably would discuss recipes and "what to do with all these tomatoes" with Nellie.
Hence--the chili sauce. Of coures it is a recipe card with no amounts and the scantest of directions (so I have added some proportions.) But boy it's tasty. It should cook down to a dark rusty brown and the consistency of a thick salsa. As a companion to red meats of all kinds-on chicken--YUM-ME!!
12 ripe tomatoes (if you are lazy-leave the skins on)
6 apples (same thing about the peel)
3 medium onions
2 cups vinegar
4 cups brown sugar
3 red peppers
1 heaping T. salt
1 heaping T cinnamon
1 heaping T ginger
1/4 t cloves
cook it till thick. a couple of hours maybe. on a slow flame. Then I freeze it in small containers.
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