Green Tomato Jam

Thick & Chunky Jam on Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

 The ubiquitous Green Tomato. You can find them in stores, gardens, and artwork most places in the southeastern United States. Outside of this region it passes largely unnoticed, merely a tomato that isn't ready for picking just yet. But we know better. The flavor, while not as rich as a ripe, juicy red, is extremely tart, fairly sweet, and comes with a satisfying crunch. When subjected to heat, the flavor is enhanced greatly. The crunch, not so much.

The first "before" shot

Now, when people familiar with the niftiness of Green Tomatoes think of cooking them, the first (and often only) recipe that leaps to mind is the classic Fried Green Tomato. Now, they are awesome, don't get me wrong. But everyone who cooks them has their own variation, and there are many websites dedicated to the "perfect" Fried Green Tomato.  If you've come to this page because you're looking for such a recipe, then I'm so very sorry. Not today. Point of fact, I've had to make so many of them lately that I'm just about sick of the process. My workspace as of late has been filled with the remnants of a flour dredge station and the trimmings from a few hundred of the little green bastards.

Tip of the iceburg.

 On the other hand, one of my pet peeves is wasting food. I will often go to great lengths to find uses for trimmings, bones, and the like. And despite my annoyance with the recipe at the time, I do very much like Green Tomatoes. I can't just get rid of them. After some thought, I gather up as much as possible and set my sights on making Jam.

Now, the beauty part about making Jam is that it is AMAZINGLY simple. You have your fruit. You have your sugar. You combine the two over heat and let it roll for a while - done. The only thing you have to deal with is the ratio. There are many who will use additives to assist with the gelling process, like pectin or gelatin. You can do this if you like, but I prefer to take a simpler approach. Green Tomatoes in particular do not require additional gelling ingredients and can be adapted to Jam with an extremely simple ratio:

2 parts diced Green Tomato
1 part Sugar

Jam in progress, pure tomato.

Understand, this is by volume, not by weight. For example, my last batch had approximately 16 cups of Green Tomato trimmings (1 gallon) and 8 cups of white, granulated sugar (half gallon). Truth be told, I used a little less sugar than that. I'm not an overly huge fan of very sweet food in the first place and I wanted to preserve the tarter flavor of the Tomatoes somewhat.

My first batch was pure tomato. I wanted to get a feel for the timing and flavor without outside influence. My recipe looked something like this:

What you need:

7 cups Green Tomatoes, diced
3 1/2 cups White, Granulated Sugar
1 oz. Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp salt

What you do:

-Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan or small stockpot over medium high heat.
-Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally.
-Reduce to medium heat and let it roll, stirring occasionally, until your tomatoes are translucent and juices are thickened somewhat. This recipe required about an hour and a half of cook time.

It should look something like this.

Now, you can cool this as is and store in the refrigerator, or you can immediately pour into glass jars and initiate basic canning procedures. (Here are some ideas to get you started.) If it seems a little thin, don't worry. It will thicken quite a bit as it cools.

 I have stored uncanned Green Tomato Jam in my home refrigerator for six weeks without it going bad. It very well may have lasted for longer, but it was eaten by that time. I can say that it does can very well, however.


In my latest foray into the wonderful world of Green Tomato Jam, I changed things up a little bit. First, I added  two Jalapeno Peppers into the mix. This did three things for it: 1) Provided just a tiny amount of heat (obviously), 2) Gave a little color variation in the finished product, and 3) provided a wonderful complexity of flavor without detracting from the Tomatoey goodness.

Just hitting the stovetop

 Second, I made my dices smaller. This means less cook time. Less cook time means fresher flavor overall.

Third, less sugar. Personal preference, taste the fruit more than the sweet.

The quick break down:

What you need:

1 gallon Green Tomatoes, small dice
6 cups White Granulated Sugar
2 Jalapenos, seeded and diced small
3 oz Lemon Juice

What you do: 


-Combine all ingredients in a  stockpot over high heat.
-Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally.
-Reduce to medium heat and let it roll, stirring occasionally, until your tomatoes are translucent and juices are thickened somewhat. This recipe required about an hour of cook time.

Green Tomato & Jalapeno Jam - Finished Product

At first, this jam-in-the-making will smell strongly of peppers. Don't worry, just keep cooking and it will come out fine. Also, this recipe seems to mellow and mature with a little storage time. The jam will be great the first day, don't get me wrong. You may have a greater appreciation for it after a week or two, is all. 

Valentine's Day - Dinner for Two

Good guess! We'll be making this.

It's the evening of Valentine's Day. If you have kids, they're in bed by now and you're focusing your attention on your sweetie. If you don't have kids, you're focusing your attention on your better half already. Finally, if you have no kids, no significant other, AND you're reading this blog - just make the food for yourself, lock the door and put on cartoons. No reason to share the yummies. 

Now, before evening rolls around, you're going to want to do some shopping. Let's keep the ingredients simple and relatively inexpensive. This exercise is mostly about method of preparation. The most difficult item tonight is a Risotto, and I'll walk you through it. The point here is not to run out and buy the biggest lobster and most expensive bottle of champagne you can find. Any random jackass can do that. This is making something that shows you have some class and are willing to put in effort to show that you care. Making something with your own hands that is pleasing to all of the senses. Invoking feelings of trust and closeness,  compassion and understanding.

Then maybe parlaying those feelings into some after-hours bouncy bouncy. Let's begin.

Valentine’s Day Dinner For Two:

Tomato Fresco Bruschetta & Sauteed Shrimp over Mushroom Risotto

-recommended to be served with a sweet Moscato or even an auslese Riesling.

Mise en Place

Here's what you need:

For the Bruschetta

Roma Tomatoes – 4

Garlic, Minced – 1 tbsp

Olive Oil – 1 oz

Basil, fresh, chiffonade – 2 tbsp

Kosher Salt – TT

Italian Bread, bias sliced 

For the Risotto

Arborio Rice – 1 cup

Chicken Stock – 4 cups

Mushrooms, sliced – 1 cup (I prefer crimini, but button works fine)

Shallots, diced – 2
Garlic, minced - 2 tsp
White Wine – 1/3 cup

Olive Oil – 2 tbsp

Green Onion, thinly sliced – 2 tbsp

Kosher Salt – TT 
 Asiago, grated – to top

For the Shrimp 

Shrimp, large (shelled and deveined) – 12

White Wine – to deglaze

Salt & Pepper – TT

Wooden Skewers, 6 in. – 4

Olive Oil (for sauteeing)

And here's what you do:

For the Bruschetta

Prepare this first to give it some rest time while the other preparations are underway. Do not top the bread until service.

-Dice your Romas. Be careful; too large and it won't fit on the bread well, too small and it'll turn to mush quickly.
-Combine all other ingredients (except bread) in a bowl. Cover and set aside.

Bias cut bread for Bruschetta

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 
-Slice the bread on a bias. Brush with Olive Oil. If you prefer, sprinkle a little Garlic Powder over it all, but not much.
-Place all of your bread slices on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 5 - 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them. They tend to burn easily.

To serve: Place a spoonful of the tomato mixture onto each bread slice, arrange on a plate, and let the yumminess commence.

For the Risotto

A Risotto is a relatively simple thing to create. Unfortunately, it's also a very easy thing to screw up. If this is your first time making a Risotto, give it your undivided attention until it's done.

-Oil a saucepan with 1 tbsp of the Olive Oil. Turn on medium heat. Do not let the oil smoke.
-When the oil is hot, add your diced Shallots. Cook until slightly tender.
-Add your Garlic and Mushrooms, continue to cook until 'Shrooms shrink slightly and get floppy.
-Pour in your rice. All of it. Stir it around until every grain is coated with vegetable essence and Olive Oil. Cook until the rice changes color slightly. (If needed, you may use the other tbsp of Olive Oil at this stage, but it might not be necessary.)
-Deglaze with White Wine. Continue stirring until almost all of the wine is cooked off/absorbed into the rice.

Risotto in progress

-Pour in about 1/3 of your chicken stock. Cook,stirring constantly, until stock is almost fully absorbed.
-Pour in another 1/3 of your stock. Continue cooking, continue stirring, until stock is almost fully absorbed.
-Pour in last 1/3 of stock. Add the green Onion and Salt. Continue with the cooking and stirring. When everything is almost fully incorporated, cover and remove from heat. Let rest for 5 - 10 minutes before service.

A note about this: Risotto, when prepared properly, should be very starchy and creamy while still having a bit of "bite" to the individual grains of rice. Not a lot, mind you. Just enough that you don't feel compelled to swallow it immediately. I cannot stress enough that this is a stand-alone dish or a side, never a soup.

Shrimpy Goodness

For the Shrimp

-Splash a small amount of oil in a saute pan. Get it going nice and hot.
-Add your Shrimp. Hit it lightly with Salt/Pepper.
-Toss lightly until Shrimp is almost done, maybe a minute.
-Deglaze the pan with a small amount of White Wine. Toss to coat Shrimp and cook for a few seconds more.
-Remove from heat and put your Shrimp onto skewers, three each.

Putting It All Together

-On your plate, place about 6 oz. of Risotto at a 10 o'clock center position. Garnish with a few long strips of grated Asiago.

-Position two of your Shrimp Skewers over the Risotto at an angle, pointing from the 4 o'clock position.  Garnish with your remaining Green Onion.

-Place the toast rounds, three or four per plate, around the Risotto, and top with your Tomato mixture, careful to strain away any excess liquid. 

-Enjoy!

One good point about this meal is that it is filling on the short term but allows you to enjoy a glass or two of wine without feeling bloated. Maybe even have room for dessert if you so choose and still be of use to your beau concerning various mid-coital activities.

I would recommend garnishing this particular meal with a dozen roses and a coupon for a free backrub with lots of Xs and Os. 

Tomato Fresco Bruschetta, Sauteed Shrimp Skewers & Mushroom Risotto

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day - Dinner with the Kids

Finished product, dessert courtesy of Surreal Confections.

It's been a little while since my last post. Doesn't mean that I haven't been cooking, just been too busy to post. Well, that curious lack of posting ends today. A bit of a special occasion, really, this meal is being done in tandem with Surreal Confections (providing the dessert).  I'll get right to it.

Valentine's Day. Ordinarily a time for people in love to show their affection for one another by gifts of chocolate, flowers, lovely greeting cards, and food in very expensive restaurants. Now, Valentine's Day makes up one of the two busiest days for a restaurant (the other one being Mother's Day), which hardly ensures that you'll even get a seat, let alone a memorable meal. And what do you do when you have a family? Hire a sitter that costs too much and probably has a nagging addiction to snorting cornflakes and coke? NO! That'll cost you even more money and drain your supplies of cereal and soda. Here's what you do:

Make dinner yourself. Cater to your kids. (If you're a guy, your lady will appreciate your attention and nurturing actions directed at the little ones. If you're a lady, your guy will understand that the little ones take priority.) When they're in bed, full of yummy food and chocolate, THEN you cater to your sweetheart. Keep the kids' dinner simple but memorable. Traditional meals like, oh, say... Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes, perhaps? Let's be fancy and make some bell pepper hearts to go along with it. Today is all about the presentation.

So, our Valentine's Day meal for the kids will consist of Heart-Shaped Homestyle Meatloaf, Garlic Mashed Potatoes,  Bell Pepper Hearts, and we're finishing off the meal with Surreal Confections' own Strawberry and Dark Chocolate Filled Choclate Cupcakes with Whipped Topping, conceived specially for the occasion.

First off, before the day gets rolling too hard you'll need to prepare a couple of things. First off, here's what you need:

For the Meatloaf

Meatloaf veggies, just about ready to go.

2 lbs. Ground Beef,

1 medium Onion, yellow, diced small

1 large stalk of Celery, diced small

6 button mushrooms, sliced 

2 Eggs

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

1 tbsp Garlic Powder

1 tbsp Onion Powder

2 tbsp Brown Sugar

1 tsp Paprika

1/2 cup Ketchup

Cooking Oil (for sauteeing) 

1 cup of Breadcrumbs or Cornflakes

For the Mashers

7 Potatoes, White, Medium sized (or five bigger ones)

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

2 cups Heavy Cream

2 Tbsp Minced Garlic in Oil

Onion Powder
2 tbsp Whole Butter

Pepper Hearts

For the Peppers

1 each Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green Bell Pepper
Cooking Oil (for sauteeing)
Salt (to taste)
1 tsp minced Garlic

Now that we've got that settled, here's what you do:

For the Meatloaf

-Drop a bit of oil into a medium saute pan or  skillet. Bring up the temp for a couple of minutes and drop in your onion, celery, and mushrooms. Keep it moving until the veggies are tender.
-Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl (except for 1 tbsp of brown sugar).  Simple, eh?
-Couple of options here. If you have a medium sized heart-shaped pan, as is a staple in many child bearing households, oil it lightly and plop the embryonic meatloaf in.  If you do not, get a square baking pan, load it up, and trim it down to a heart shape after it comes out of the oven. But I strongly suggest you get the heart pan. Multi-purpose, and whatnot.
- Cover with foil, making sure to tent the middle and secure the sides
-Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes or until juices run clear. Alternately, it should have an internal temperature in the centermost area of at least 155 degrees. Also Fahrenheit.

A note, here. I cheated, and I expect you to as well. This is meant to be an easy fix, with the nifty bit being the presentation. Pick your favorite packaged spiced blend. Either Lawry's Seasoned Salt or Montreal Steak Seasoning work well with a loaf o' meat. Omit the other spices from this recipe except for one tbsp of the brown sugar. You'll see why.

-After your Meatloaf is out of the oven, allow it to rest for about five minutes. While resting, mix together your ketchup and brown sugar.
-Apply your red glaze evenly to the top of the Meatloaf (do this during the "Put It All Together" phase, below).

For the Mashers

-Get a pot of water on high heat. Bring to a boil.
-While waiting on the water, quarter your potatoes. Do not peel.
-When the water's at a good rolling boil, CAREFULLY add the potatoes.
-Boil, stirring occasionally, until your 'taters are tender. Drain and reserve.
-In a small saucepan, drop in a teaspoon of oil and your garlic. bring up the heat and keep it moving until the Garlic just begins to brown.
-Add the Heavy Cream and give it a good stir to dislodge anything on the bottom of the saucepan.
-Add your seasonings and  whisk to incorporate. When it begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and stir occasionally.
-When your potatoes are cooked and drained, pour them into a large bowl and mash the bejeezus out of them, then add your hot cream mixture and butter.
-Fold everything together.

For a spiffier (WOW, the spellchecker actually thinks "spiffier" is a word in English) presentation of the Mashers, mix in a bit of chopped parsley or green onion.

For the Peppers

This can be time consuming without the proper cutter. I used three small heart-shaped cookie cutters, but in the past I've had to use a paring knife. Get the cutters. Save your hands.

-Slice off the top and bottom of each Pepper.
-Cut a vertical slice to open them up.
-Carefully remove the seeds and white membrane, discard.
-Using your cookie cutters (or knife, if you're desperate) cut out several heart shapes. Start from the fleshy side, make sure the outer skin is down before you press. It'll make your job so much easier.
-In a small saute pan, heat a small amount of oil over medium heat . Add your Garlic and stir until it just starts to soften, but not quite brown.
-Add the Pepper hearts and toss in a dash of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to change color slightly. Remove from heat and cover.
-In two minutes, they're perfect.

Platter Service

Put It All Together

-On a serving platter, put down a layer of the Mashed Potatoes. Position the Meatloaf in the dead center and press down lightly.
-Time to glaze your Meatloaf.
-Arrange your Pepper hearts around your larger Meatloaf heart.
-Plate your dessert next to your entree (for details on your yummy dessert, please see the  tandem meal post HERE.)

Individual service

-Eat.

For individual servings, lay down a serving spoon full of mashers at approximately the 10 o'clock center of the plate. Cut off two of three thin slices of Meatloaf and lay across the Mashers, and garnish heavily with Pepper hearts.

Give it to your kids, tell them Happy V-Day, and explain to them that this is what's for dinner, stop complaining and eat it. Make sure to prepare this a little early, after they eat it's time to prepare dinner for your sweetie.

Coming very soon and very next - Valentine's Day Dinner for Two - the real reason for the season. And a huge thanks to Surreal Confections for going tandem with this meal.