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Tomato Jam

9/25/2014

This time of year, my obsession with growing heirloom tomato plants usually culminates in an abundance of ripe tomatoes. Baskets full. Generally we eat all we can and freeze the rest, then when I get time, I pull out all those bags of frozen tomatoes and make homemade tomato jam. I use the jam in recipes in place of tomato sauce because it's sweet and savory, and it adds so much zest and tang compared to regular old tomato sauce.   The recipe is so easy, and the smell of homegrown tomatoes and herbs stewing on the stove top just permeates the house. I like to make this in the winter, because it really perks me up when the weather's got me down. Plus, I have more free time when I'm snowed in.

However, when I went to make a homemade lasagne the other day and realized I had no tomato sauce whatsoever in my house, I knew it was time to stir up a small batch of my homegrown, homemade tomato jam. Even if winter is not quite here yet. Thank the Lord.

The recipe varies depending on what I have available, but here's what I tossed in this time:

3lbs tomatoes
1 each green & orange bell pepper
3 banana peppers
1 handful each basil & oregano leaves
4 sprigs thyme
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1/2 cup brown sugar
1t garlic salt

All these ingredients get tossed in the pan and cooked down. Nothing is peeled except the garlic and onion, and very little is chopped (the onions and tomatoes get a rough chop or two).
I like to do things quick and easy!

This cooks on medium heat for 30 minutes or so, and when it starts to breakdown, I use a potato masher to break up the larger pieces. I cook it for another 1/2 hour to an hour, letting it reduce until it starts to get thick, somewhere between pasta sauce and tomato paste consistency.

This is how it looks when it reaches that final stage. For me, it's finished. But if you can't stand having the seeds and chunks in there, you could run it through a strainer or food mill to get a smoother texture. Again, that's an extra step, and I prefer to keep things simple!

And I also prefer to eat it right out of the pan, but that's just me.

Once the jam is finished, you can either freeze it in ziplock bags or can it. It holds up well both ways, so take your pick. And be sure to sample a bite first...you might end up eating the whole batch right there and won't even need to preserve it!

I'm speaking from experience...
I have no regrets.

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Roots & Sausage

9/10/2014

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Since it's mid-September and raining steadily, I decided to make one of my favorite cool-weather dishes for supper--Roots & Sausage. It's a favorite for a few reasons--it's simple, it's easy, and it's delicious. And I get to use some of my stash of homegrown potatoes, garlic, and onions!

I cooked it all in my vintage slow cooker I scored for $1 at a Mennonite yard sale (yippee!), but you can use a modern slow cooker or even bake it in the oven.

Here's the simple part: the ingredients. It's just polish sausage and "root vegetables", meaning the vegetable is actually the root of the plant--grown below ground, not above. Here's what I used:

11 red potatoes, 5 small onions, 4 garlic cloves, 4 carrots, and one package of polish sausage.

Feel free to toss in some sweet potatoes, too. They taste great in this, but my cupboard was bare (of sweet potatoes, at least), and I was not about to run to the store to get some. Call me crazy.

Here's the easy part: Chop everything up into equal-sized pieces and toss them in your slow cooker. Peel the potatoes if you want, I kind of half-way do that. And I make sure the sausage goes in last so all the juices drip down on the roots and season them real good. Mmm-mmn.

Then I kick it up a notch by sprinkling some brown sugar and seasoned salt over the top, just enough to lightly cover everything. The sugar revs up the sweetness of the vegetables, and the salt balances out the flavor. Plus, I'm in love with brown sugar. And salt of any kind.
I feel better just saying it.

Cook this for a couple of hours on high, gently stirring it a time or two. When the carrots are tender, it's done. Plate it up with a few tomato slices, drizzle it with some sauce from the bottom of the pot, and savor the flavor. That's where the deliciousness comes in!

Note: This recipe serves 4. If baking this dish in the oven, just grease a roast pan, fill it up, and cook it til it's tender, maybe an hour. Serving it with the tomatoes is mandatory. You'll see.

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Shakshuka, Ozark Style

9/4/2014

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Seasonal recipes are right up my alley, and this one is literally packed full of farm-fresh produce. It's a regional dish consisting of eggs poached in tomato sauce, and it's been served in kitchens all over the Middle East, from Jaffa to Palestine. And to add to the appeal, the recipe hails from a tiny cafe in an ancient Middle Eastern alley. How intriguing! And exotic. And even though ancient Palestine is slightly different from the Missouri Ozarks, I couldn't resist trying this dish out in my own kitchen. I was glad I did.

I discovered Shakshuka during a weekly trip to the Morgan County Library. Nita, the lovely Library Director was showing me some new "clean food" cookbooks that had just come in, and we were slowly flipping through them, pausing to ooh and aah over the stunning photographs and brilliantly detailed recipes. Did I mention it was right before lunch?

I honed in on this recipe from the book Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. What got my attention first was the gorgeous photo, but when I read the list of ingredients, I knew I had just about every one growing in my garden. Sold! I checked out the book and raced home.

I grabbed my basket and went straight to the garden, by way of the chicken coop.
Here's what I gathered:

1 large onion (to be sliced)                               3 large tomatoes
1 red bell pepper (to be cut into strips)               3 sprigs of thyme
1 green bell pepper (repeat above)                      several parsley leaves (2T chopped)
4 eggs                                                           20 coriander seeds (or 1/2t cumin)

And here's what I used from my cupboard:

salt & pepper        3/4c olive oil         1/4t Old Bay           2t cane sugar           1c water

There were only a few things I didn't have, like bay leaves, cumin, and saffron, which the recipe calls for. But Shakshuka is traditionally made using whatever ingredients you have on hand, so I used Old Bay for the bay leaves, coriander for the cumin, and left out the saffron. I was stretching it for sure, but it worked. And I'm a big fan of using what you have.
It's kind of my motto.

The first step was to dry roast the coriander (or cumin) for a minute or two. Then add the onions and brown them in a bit of olive oil. Let's just pause a moment to admire the onions.................scrumptious, aren't they? Now we must move on....it gets even better.

Toss in the peppers, sugar, and herbs. Cook them down, about 5 minutes or so.

Time to add the tomatoes and spices. Reduce the heat and cook this for 15 minutes or so. Add water as needed to give it a sauce consistency.

Okay, here comes the exciting part....make four wells in the mixture and crack an egg in each well. Turn the heat way down and simmer this until the eggs are just set. Don't worry if a yolk breaks, one of mine did and it turned out just fine.

Sprinkle with some salt and chopped parsley, scoop it on a plate, and experience the tsunami of flavor that overtakes you. It's intense. And amazing. And delicious. Did I mention delicious?

For the complete Shakshuka recipe and more, get a hold of a copy of Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.
You'll be glad you did.

And be sure to visit your local library--there's a world of adventure waiting for you there!

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Tomato Jam

Roots & Sausage

Shakshuka, Ozark Style

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