I have an affinity for the idea of southern living. I don’t know if I would enjoy actually living down in Dixie but in my perfect world, life is full of southern grace, charm, and food. I think it would really depend on where in the south I happened to find myself.
I don’t think I could take the heat and humidity that seems to thrive down south (not that Maryland is any picnic in the summer). And then there’s the whole tornado thing. Maryland isn’t much of a tornado alley so the notion of storm cellars and twisters that can level entire neighborhoods makes me kind of uncomfortable. Maybe it’s just that I’ve seen The Wizard of Oz and Twister too many times not to have a prejudiced notion of what it means to live with the possibility of these storms…god forbid somebody drops a house on me. And then there’s the bugs. Fire ants, palmetto bugs, and mosquitoes the size of buzzards. My perfect world of southern living does not make accommodation for these pests.
So maybe actual southern living is not for me. Perhaps I am better served by small doses of southern charm during long weekends away from the Free State. Regardless, thanks to my friend who let me borrow her copy of The Boathouse cookbook, I can bring a taste of that southern food into my own kitchen. And right now, the south tastes like tomato jam. I wish that I did have a big cellar so that I could make big batches of this and can it for proper long term storage. In my mind, that’s what my basement is for. Not for seeking refuge from the storm.
I am entering this recipe in the Get Grillin’ Event run by Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans. This week’s theme is appetizers. Check out all the entries and submit one of your own!
Roma Tomato Jam
Adapted from The Boathouse
BAH Note: I’ve used this as a sandwich condiment, as a topping on flat bread, and on wee rounds of toasted baguette. I bet it would be fantastic on a grilled pizza with some lovely, salty feta.
- 1 container roma tomatoes (I guess there were about 6 or 8 tomatoes), coarsely chopped
- 1 red onion, sliced thin
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add chopped tomatoes and onion and saute over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the balsamic and brown sugar. Stir to combine and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes or until a jam-like consistency is reached. I turned off the heat when a spatula run through left a clean trail in the pan.
Serve at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator.
Bon Appetit Hon 