Tomato Jam

Tomato is a fruit too - so let's jamify it.

The other day, my husband had a tomato bacon jam on a breakfast sandwich he ordered, and it was pretty kickass. I after two attempts at recreating, I can honestly say that I've struck gold. I wholeheartedly intend to eat this all summer long. So far, I've just been toasting up some bread with olive oil and dipping it in the jam, but I could see this on a delicious grilled chicken sandwich for lunch; with a Dutch baby with a fried egg, microgreens, arugula, and prosciutto; or with toasted wheat bread and goat cheese for a snack.

I'm use cherry tomatoes because they are sweeter than grape tomatoes. Grape tomatoes don't have as much liquid, are not as sweet, and feature a slightly tougher skin. I think it could totally work with grape tomatoes too, but I think you'll experience more textural contrast, which is a vibe in and of itself, but not what I was going for here.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

• None

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 oz cherry tomatoes

• 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar

• 2 garlic cloves, sliced

• 1 tbsp honey or agave nectar, plus more for garnish

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

Add all ingredients together to a saucepan and cook uncovered on medium low heat, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes or until mixture has thickened to where a spatula run through the jam leaves a trail. Drizzle with a touch of honey. Serve.

Tips:

1. Make sure you are scraping the sides of the pan when stirring.

2. Some ideas for flavor variations:

   1. Toss in an ounce of whiskey, brandy, or cognac with the rest of the ingredients at the beginning and let the alcohol cook out,

   2. Swap the honey for maple syrup for fig jam,

   3. Swap the garlic for some scallion whites,

   4. Tear some purple basil on top to serve,

   5. Add a sprig of thyme or oregano with the rest of the ingredients at the beginning. and remove before serving