Tomato Jam + Appetizer Ideas | Secret Recipe Club

Time flies. It seems like I was just writing my last post for The Secret Recipe Club. You don’t know what The Secret Recipe Club is? Let me share a quick synopsis with you. Each month you are given a link to a member’s blog and you browse through the “secret” blog to determine which wonderful recipe you are going to create. The club is divided into four groups with each one having a “reveal” day during the month. Once the reveal takes place you are also able to see who received your blog and what recipe they chose. It is a lot of fun - I encourage you to check it out.

For May, I received Cathy’s blog Wives with Knives. Cathy lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley in Oregon for her entire life. Her love of food came from growing up on a farm on the Columbia River and learning how to cook from her grandmother. Her recipes come from family favorites along with local farmers’ market vendors and other spectacular collected recipes.

Cathy herself is a vendor at the local farmers market and sells roasted and glazed nuts, granola and trail mixes. She went on a trip to Germany years ago and fell in love with the Christmas markets along with the smell of roasting almonds. She loved it so much, that she purchased two of the roasting machines and sells her delights at the farmers market in Beaverton, Oregon. { Note to self: need to make a trip to Beaverton and stop by Cathy’s booth at the market.}

Cathy has an incredible selection of tasty recipes, that it was quite difficult to select which one I wanted to make. I have bookmarked many to create in the future. Like Cathy, I am a self professed condiment junkie. I am drawn to them at small grocery stores, farmers markets, specialty food stores and anywhere else I may spy them. So when I saw that she made Tomato Jam – I was sold on that recipe.

I used the tomato jam to make Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.  Simply cut a baguette on the diagonal and buttered each side.  Added a bit of jarlsburg swiss cheese and a generous spoonful of the tomato jam.  Grilled until golden brown on each side.  Absolutely delish!

Making jam is one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy creating unique flavor profiles and then sharing with friends and family. Tomato Jam has been on my list for several years to make, but just have not found the perfect recipe – until NOW. This jam is rich, spicy, hearty, unique and tasty. This might just be the ultimate tomato jam.

Another quick appetizer - Tomato Jam and Chevre Costini.  Simply slice a sourdough baguette thinly and brush each side with a bit of olive oil.  Lay onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes until golden brown on each side. Best to rotate at the 5 minute mark to brown evenly.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Spread chevre (goat cheese) on top of each one and add a generous spoonful of the delicious tomato jam to the top of each one.  Perfect with a glass of sauvignon blanc.

Tomato Jam

1 ½ lb.Ripe Roma tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 T. minced crystallized ginger
1 t. ground cumin
¼ t. ground cinnamon
¼ t. ground cloves
1 t. salt
½ t. red pepper flakes, or to taste

To peel the tomatoes easily, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut a slight X on the top of each tomato. Place into the boiling water for about one minute and remove to cool for a few minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle, the skin will peel away easily. Continue to dice into small pieces and remove any end portions of where the tomato was attached to the vine.

Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of a thick jam, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Watch carefully so the jam doesn’t burn. Taste and adjust seasonings, then cool and refrigerate. Will keep, refrigerated, for two weeks. Makes approximately one cup of jam.