for the love of tomatoes

Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE tomatoes.
I've been busy using up the last of the tomatoes from the greenhouse - the ones that were just not going to ripen before the plants started to rot. I've been a fan of green tomato chutney since my mum made it when we were kids. This one wasn't my mums recipe though, just one I found online that suited the ingredients I had to hand. It's been maturing for a couple of weeks now and I'm having to resist opening it and having it with some nice strong cheddar and soft fresh bread. I'm salivating.

I do actually have one tomato plant left which I planted out in the garden late. I've moved it to the greenhouse now but I'm not sure if the tomatoes will ripen - we've had some warm days but some pretty chilly nights of late. I might need to make a few more jars of chutney.
I'm finding more and more that I enjoy the process of growing, eating and preserving foods. Last week I treated myself to a Maslin Pan, a confectioners thermometer, and the WI book of preserves. Mr Monda just groaned when he saw the book, in a 'you're becoming an old woman' kind of way. Oh well.

Last week I also made myself a little button necklace to go with the outfit I was wearing. I didn't own any purple accessories so I raided my stash and made a long necklace from buttons, felt balls, and a length of black waxed string. My friend also liked it, so I made one for her in oranges and yellows - very autumnal