I am a tomato fanatic. I absolutely love tomatoes in every shape, size, and form. My family laughs at me that I could eat tomatoes every day! I have to admit that getting those vine-ripe tomatoes in the winter are not the same as those fresh heirloom tomatoes from the summer farmer’s markets. So, time to invent dishes that have that great fresh summer taste in the cold winter months. I purchased a 1 pint box of organic grape tomatoes at the store this week and planned on making my usual pan roasted tomatoes with garlic, fresh basil and olive oil. However, this morning I thought I would try roasting them in the oven to concentrate their flavor and make a wonderful jam to serve this weekend. This jam has an intense flavor perfect to serve with toasted bread or crackers. I added a hint of cinnamon and balsamic vinegar and I think it is terrific. Time to open a bottle of wine this weekend and try this delicious jam. Next time, I am going to roast 3 pints of tomatoes.
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 1 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon coarse grain salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Combine all of the above ingredients. Pour onto a foil lined baking sheet. Bake 325 ° - 1 1/2 hours.
- Stir every 30 minutes. If the mixture looks dry while roasting, drizzle with additional olive oil.
- Mash tomatoes with a fork after cooking to obtain jam consistency.