IN THE KITCHEN: Margi’s Tomato Jam

Margi’s Tomato Jam

By Margi Kyle, The Designing Doctor, LLC
Director of Non-Profits LKNConnect.com
Founder of Little Smiles NC
Major Chief Cook in our House!

Have you ever been to North Harbor Club and had the Southern Grilled Cheese sandwich with Homemade Tomato Jam? It is to die for! I asked for the Tomato Jam recipe, but they were sworn to secrecy!  I have looked for the past few years and have no idea where I found the start of my Tomato Jam recipe — but here it is.

Ingredients

4 Cups of diced Beefsteak Tomatoes (about 2 to 3 large Tomatoes)

1 ½ Cups of chopped Strawberries

1 Teaspoon fresh Lemon Juice

1 Cup Sugar — it is so worth the calories!  If you are on a sugar-free diet, try a sugar substitute.

1 Teaspoon of Crazy Jane Salt (or Kosher Salt)

½ Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon

1/8 Teaspoon of Crazy Jane Pepper (or regular Pepper)

1 bag of Baguette slices (or the already cooked ones)

Olive Oil (I mix ½ cup of olive oil and ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar and garlic together to brush on the bread.)

At least 6 ounces of crumbled Feta Cheese

Mint or Basil Leaves for garnish, along with a decorative accent. I love my bird in the middle. [See photo below.]

Instructions

To get the jam going: turn your stove top on to medium heat. Place the diced tomatoes in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, return to medium heat and add the strawberries, sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Let it simmer for about 40 minutes. Once it is good and thick, remove from the heat and let it cool.

Once cool, blend

Once it has cooled, pour the mixture into a small mixing bowl. Blend it for a minute or two with a hand blender just to make it smooth. Put in a glass container in the refrigerator.

Toasting the bread

While the tomato jam is cooking, take out the bread and oil mix. Brush both sides with the combination.  Put on a cookie sheet, and sprinkle with some salt. Cook until golden brown— not burned — about 5 minutes, depending on your oven. If you bought the toasted baguettes, sprinkle the oil on to soften. On top of each crostini, place a teaspoon or so of the jam. Then sprinkle the feta cheese on top and garnish with either mint or basil leaves, or make some with mint and the rest with basil and see which one goes the fastest. I bet it will be a tie!

Serving suggestions

I serve these with my butternut squash soup and or a grilled cheese sandwich and a salad. Either makes for a delicious dinner! Store the rest of the jam in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Enjoy!

Preparation and photos by Margi Kyle

Printed version of this recipe

In the Kitchen series – Southern Tomato Pie

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