chutney

i was the only one at the scanners / i was buying a small watermelon / i asked the check out lady who was monitoring the scanners how much the melon weighed / four pounds, she said

i saw a recipe for watermelon rind chutney that called for an eight pound watermelon and so i got one and made the chutney, i told her.

it was time and labor intensive / i showed her my bandaged thumb

she was curious / i told her all the green had to be peeled off and all the pink scraped from the inside after you ate the watermelon / sharing with the guys building the shed

then she asked, What is chutney? Is it like a salsa?

well hmmmm / more like a relish / its flavors are strong and sharp and sweet and hot and you dont eat much of it at one time / it often accompanies a curry

to make the chutney you use apple cider vinegar / sugar / the basic three : ginger, garlic, jalapenos / crushed black pepper corns / you cook it for almost an hour and then chill for a couple of days to meld the flavors

my daughter who fancies Indian food told me i should not cook it but marinate the rind / authentically she said it would not be cooked / oh yeah ?

it could marinate for a week in the sun ?

how yummy would that be ?

i cooked it

despite the cooking the rind stayed firm and crisp and retained its crunch

the checkout lady (Deanna) was fascinated. What did you eat it with, she asked.

Have i mentioned that i live in memory lapse world ?

i cdnt recall a single thing i had eaten with the chutney so i said i wd bring her some / i went home and looked in my food diary / oh yeah / i put some in a small jar and went back to the store

i had some with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, i said. She made a face, On it ? she asked

no, on the side like a relish

I await her response to tasting it

smile