Paleo, Spicy, Rhubarb Dark Cherry Relish~GAPS Friendly
Easter is right around the corner and it is the one time of the year that we serve a whole ham. Actually, most of our family did not like ham for a long time until we found quality, uncured ham that had amazing flavor. Now, we look forward to it every year! Instead of doing a big sit down dinner as we did when I was growing up our family has simplified it a bit and now we have a nice afternoon brunch with all the fixings.
Since ham is normally on our menu, I developed this chunky relish to serve as an accompaniment. The flavor of this relish compliments the ham nicely because it has a hint of mustard and tang from the apple cider vinegar. The sweet and savory component keeps us coming back for more and more! It can be served cold or warm along with cold or warm ham. Personally, I like cold ham the best with cold relish on top. I even like to dip my ham in it. Another way to eat this relish is on top of chicken or served over dairy-free cream cheese and dipped with plantain chips.
My recipe uses our favorite essential oils ~Clove Oil but if you don’t have that you can use ground cloves. The clove essential oil really give is an outstanding flavor though. I highly recommend it. Plus, if you put it in once the relish has cooled then you still have the therapeutic affect of the oil! Word of caution** Do not use just any essential oil in this recipe. You’ve gotta use doTERRA Essential Oils that are certified pure and free of contaminants, recommended and safe for internal use.
I’m so excited about making this! Buuuut rhubarb isn’t in season here and none of my stores are carrying it. Do you recommend any substitutions?
Hi Jenni, The hard part is that rhubarb generally isn’t in season until April but if I can find it here, I bet you can find it there since there really are no “seasons” per se. How about trying Whole Foods or Sprouts? They might have it. I can’t vouch for any substitutions since I have only used rhubarb and the key is the tartness in the rhubarb. Hmmm, let me know if you are able to hunt some down!