Steemit Iron Chef 2017 #01: Smoky Tomato Jam!

Hi Foodies!

I have to be honest - tomatoes are not usually my jam, but this smoky tomato jam totally is. It's the perfect appetizer served on top of a toasted baguette with cream cheese, or even used as a glaze!

I'm usually that person that asks for no tomatoes on anything they order - I'm just not a huge fan of raw tomatoes. When I saw that the first @steemit-ironchef theme was all about tomatoes, I was up for the challenge to make a tomato lover out of all you tomato haters - including myself.

I used about 2 pounds of these gorgeous tomatoes on the vine. It's crazy that these 2 pounds of tomatoes only yields about 1 cup of jam, but it's worth it - I promise.

Pro-tip!

Give your tomatoes a quick dunk (10-30 seconds) in a pot of boiling water & have an ice bath set up for them to go into. The skins will slide right off!

I only used 1/2 cup of coconut sugar to help bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes. I thought for sure I'd need to add more, but with the balance of salt, this tomato jam is the perfect amount of sweet!

I couldn't put this jam on just any ol' bread - this baguette from one of my favorite local bakeries, Easy Tiger, is to die for. They started in Austin & just opened up a new location in my part of town. If you're ever in Austin, I highly recommend a visit!

I'm sure by now you're ready to make your own smoky tomato jam - let's get to it!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of ripe, red tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp of sea salt
• Pinch of pepper
• Pinch of ginger (I used powdered, but fresh would work as well)
• Pinch of cloves (I also used powdered, but you could use the whole clove - just remember to take it out)
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar

Extras (optional)

• Cream cheese (I used a vegan version from kite hill - it's SO good!)
• Baguette, or crackers

Directions

1. Prep your tomatoes

Start a pot of boiling water & get a bowl of ice ready. Once the pot of water is boiling, dunk the tomatoes for up to 30 seconds. Add water to the bowl of ice & take the tomatoes from the boiling water immediately to the ice bath. You should now be able to easily remove the tomato skins.

2. Remove tomato seeds/core

This is the fun part! Cut the tomatoes in half & squeeze each half in your hand to remove the seeds. I recommend doing this over the sink because you WILL get messy. After all the seeds have been removed, roughly chop the tomatoes. Make sure you cut out the core as well.

3. Sugar bath

Place the tomatoes in a pot (you can use the same pot you used to boil the water) with the 1/2 cup of coconut sugar. Stir & let sit for about 10-15 minutes. No heat just yet.

4. Turn up the heat!

Start to simmer the tomatoes & add salt, pepper, ginger, clove, & cinnamon. Simmer on medium heat for about 10-15 more minutes.

5. So jelly

Once the tomatoes start looking like jam, you can remove from heat & add your apple cider vinegar. Mix well & taste for any spice adjustments (more salt, pepper, etc). Serve on top of toasted baguettte, or cracker, with cream cheese.

Warning

This will disappear quickly :)

I may not LOVE tomatoes just yet, but this jam is definitely a step in the right direction. I had so much fun making this recipe & hope you will too!

P.S. - Thank you!

Huge thanks to @progressivechef for hosting the Steemit Iron Chef contest! I can't wait to see all of the amazing recipes that come out of it!

Also, thank you @cabelindsay for making these awesome, printable Steemit photo tags!