Stranger Things

Before we left for Spain, I cleared out one of my raised gardens – except for some zinnias in the back of the bed and some nasturtiums that were overflowing in the front. But the center of the bed was completely bare, ready for some new strawberry plants. 

When I came back, some very strange things had overtaken the bed. These things were plants that looked a bit like tomato vines. On each plant hung dozens of even stranger fruit, small berries surrounded with papery husks. Once popped out of the husk, the yellow fruit tasted both sweet and tart, a bit like a pineapple, with the faintest taste of a cherry tomato.  

I knew immediately what had engulfed my garden. A few years ago Maggie had brought me three tiny ground cherry plants (Physalis pruinosa) from Madison, Wisconsin. Other than those original plants, I've never again planted them. But every summer a few volunteers pop up, which I usually pull out of the garden, thinking they are weeds. Some years there are a few; some years they are many. 

I was travelling when they appeared in early September and without me to pluck them, they took off like crazy – creating a tangly mess of about a dozen plants, each about three feet tall and equally as wide. The fruits are ready to harvest when they fall to the ground – earning them their ground cherry name. (They are also known as cape gooseberries or husk tomato.) They are in the same genus as tomatillos – hence the similar papery husk – and the same family as tomatoes. 

Over the course of the month, hundreds fell. I put a few on my cereal, popped some into my mouth, topped salads with some, and the rest I turned into a chutney to serve with chicken or pork or to pour over cream cheese or a hard, sharp cheese, such as Manchego. Delicious.

I've still got a bucket full to husk tonight. Maybe I'll try a ground cherry pie...

l

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Ground Cherry Chutney

Adapted slightly from Edible Paradise

Makes 5 cups

ingredients

6 cups ground cherries, husked and rinsed
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon teaspoon ground cloves
1-2 teaspoon(s) red pepper flakes, depending on how much heat you like
1 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)

preparation

In a heavy sauce pan, combine sugar and water, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring. Add vinegar, onions, pepper, raisins, coriander seed, mustard seed, ground cloves and red pepper flakes. Cook until onions and peppers are soft. Add ground cherries, bring mixture  to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until most of the cherries have burst and mixture has thickened.

Remove from heat. Allow to cool and store in a glass jars in the refrigerator. Or, pour chutney into sterilized jars, top with lids and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.