Viking Aronia / Huckleberry Chutney with Anise / Blackberry Chutney with Anise

The last time I was at the grocery store, I found pineapples 3 for $2 and a jar of Frontier organic anise for $2.  My Viking aronia, which has never borne fruit before, is loving this cold and wet summer (I read there is a major drought affecting most US produce, but it is hard to believe it here).  It is so full of berries, the branches are starting to break!  The berries, which are tart, most resemble huckleberries in flavor.  If you have neither, blackberries would also be nice. (Or a mix of blackberries and salal.)

I whipped this up to serve alongside steak and salad. 

Ingredients

1 heaping tbsp. coconut oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

½ c. finely chopped pineapple, preferably fresh

½ c. Viking aronias or huckleberries or 2/3 c. blackberries

1/8 c. red wine

1 tsp. garlic

½ tsp. anise

Pinch salt

A few grinds of black pepper

Method

Cook onions over medium low heat in coconut oil until transparent, then add pineapple,  aronias or blackberries, red wine and spices.  Continue cooking, stirring, until fruit has softened (aronias) and begun to split or until blackberries are losing their shape.  Taste and adjust seasonings; you may wish to add more pepper or anise depending on how strong your onion and fruit are. 

Enjoy with steak or duck or some other strongly flavored meat and a glass of red wine.