Considering that my family has grown grapes in California for the sole purpose of providing raisins to dried fruit lovers, I have a strong affinity for the dried gems of nutrition. Always on the lookout for new ways to cook with raisins, I was thrilled to find this raisin-based recipe in the raw food cookbook Gorilla Food: Living and Eating Organic, Vegan, and Raw by the charismatic chef Aaron Ash who has a raw vegan restaurant named Gorilla Food in Vancouver. If you can’t frequent the celebrity-sought eatery, get your hands on Ash’s cookbook.

Raisin Chutney

Recipe from Gorilla Food (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2012) by Aaron Ash

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves

Directions:

1. Soak raisins in water and apple cider vinegar for 1 to 4 hours.
2. In the food processor, with the s-blade, process all ingredients into a puree.
3. Serve as a spread for toast, dip for crackers, or as a flavorful condiment for wraps, sandwiches and more.

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