Sunday, October 11, 2015

Now With Video! We are Jammin', Tomato Jam




QUICK - LOOK! Did you see? There's a video at the top of the page! The first one...EVER!  I have spent the day watching my fabulous husband put it together and just amazed at how beautifully it came out. He is truly amazing (not to mention, smart, patient, kind, and funny) and somehow he not only puts up with me photographing almost every morsel of food that we cook/eat, he magically whips them up into this fun video.  So - enjoy the video, and try your hand at a little "Tomato Jam"!

What do you do with Tomato Jam? Paint a little on grilled chicken or pork (even a rotisserie chicken) and all of the sudden you have a gourmet level dish that will impress even the fanciest of guests.  Serve it over a block of cream cheese, or Chèvre (goat cheese) or a mixture of the two and it makes a beautiful appetizer in a matter of minutes. Actually, one night, we made a really simple pot roast & vegetables in the slow cooker and served the tomato jam on the side and it was a big hit.

I can't wait to hear what you think of the video & what kind of delicious ways you find to use this ruby gem of a jam!

Tomato Jam
6 cups tomato cored & chopped
2 onions chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T Fresh ginger, grated
1 T Red Pepper Flakes
1 T Salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup cider vinegar 
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon

In a large pot, add the first 9 ingredients.
Cook over medium high heat, stirring often until reduced by 1/2 (about 20 minutes).











Reduce heat to low & cook 2 minutes more. 
Keep refrigerated in tightly sealed container for up to several weeks. 


Here are some suggestions to customize your tomato jam;

- Instead of the red pepper flakes, use a small, fresh jalapeño ribbed, seeded, finely chopped.
- Don't have fresh ginger? Use dried, but cut the amount by half.  Or use pickled ginger, often found in the Asian section of your grocery. Mince it finely. 
- Did yours come out too chunky? Run the immersion blender through it just a little bit. Or, put 1/2 - 3/4 of it in a blender or food processor and pulse it, just a little bit...otherwise it will turn into ketchup!  
- Speaking of ketchup, you can turn this into a fabulous homemade ketchup by using the immersion blender or a regular blender to blend until smooth and cook down a bit further.  
- Add a bit of liquid smoke flavoring and the jam becomes an amazing barbecue-like sauce that is wonderful with grilled meats.  
- Need a quick appetizer?  Serve over a soft cheese like Chèvre (goat) or cream cheese for a sweet & savory nosh.  
- Can it!  Place in sterilized glass jars and can it according to preservation standards & have wonderful holiday gifts!

Psssst...Did I mention that we now have video? WOO! (Don't judge me, I'm beyond excited!)

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