Tomato Jam With Rosemary and Saffron - Recipe

Tomato Jam With Rosemary and Saffron (on a Grilled Cheese Sandwich)

Tomato jam. Sounds kind of funny, right? But then when you think about it, a tomato is a fruit after all. Cook them down with sugar and seasonings and you get a piquant jam, though you might think of it more as a chutney.

Whatever you call it, this tomato jam is amazing on a grilled cheese with seriously sharp cheddar, or with the chickpea fritters I'll tell you about next week.

For flavorings, I opted for rosemary, saffron and chili flakes. It could be equally delicious with garlic and lemon zest, or with coriander, turmeric and black pepper.

It is important to peel the tomatoes before making the jam, otherwise you will have unpleasant stringy bits in it. To peel them, you simply make an X in the skin at the end away from the stem, dunk 'em in boiling water for 10 seconds, let 'em cool, and you can zip the skin right off. Doing this for half a dozen tomatoes just takes a few minutes. When I was stageing at Canlis, I cored, peeled and seeded two cases of Roma's. That takes more than a few minutes.

Since you don't need picture perfect tomatoes for this jam, you might ask at your farmer's market to see if you can buy seconds that are a little bruised or otherwise unloved. At my market, they are about half the price of the number ones.

This recipe will make about a cup of jam, which will keep in your fridge for a few days. I'm not a canner (yet), so I don't know whether it is suitable for processing and longer-term storage.

Tomato Jam With Rosemary and Saffron
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free
Makes about a cup

• 24 ounces (by weight) tomatoes, cored and peeled (see above), roughly diced
• 1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves, very finely chopped
• 3/4 cup sugar (you could also try a little less)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of chili flakes
• pinch of saffron, crumbled
• a few grind of black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. How about this for easy? Bring all ingredients to a simmer (the liquid will all come out of the tomatoes, you don't need to add any). Cook for about an hour, until thick and syrupy. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Zucchini Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms - Recipe

Zucchini-stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Zucchini blossoms are one of the most beautiful and delicate items of summer produce. You may find them still attached to tiny zucchini, or sold separately. Look around at farmer's markets to find beautiful specimens. They are expensive by the pound but they don't weigh much!

I learned a great way to keep zucchini blossoms for a day or so from the good folks at Alvarez Farms - put them in a plastic produce bag, blow it up like a balloon and tie it tight. This "airbag" will protect them from unwanted buffeting from the other denizens of your produce bin.

The flavor of zucchini blossoms is very mild. So I don't really get why people stuff them in quesadillas and such. To me the value is in the visual appeal of the flower, so I always look for ways to emphasize that.

For today's recipe, we will caramelize tiny dice of zucchini to amp up the flavor, and mix that with goat cheese, a classic pairing. The blossoms are then fried in tempura batter, but only half way up, so the petals still peek out. 

You could serve this as a fairly substantial part of an entree plate, or as an appetizer. A little pesto or chimichurri seals the deal.

Zucchini-Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Vegetarian
Serves 4 as part of an entree plate or 8 as an appetizer

• 2 cups finely diced zucchini
• 1/4 cup finely diced white onion
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 oz. chevre (fresh, soft goat cheese)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• salt
• 16 large zucchini blossoms
• enough vegetable oil for deep frying in your smallest saucepan, about 3" deep
• 1 cup basic tempura batter (whisk together 1 egg, 1 cup flour, 1 cup ice cold water, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt; thin as needed with ice cold water to a thin pancake batter consistency)
• 1/2 cup homemade pesto thinned with olive oil, or chimichurri

1. Saute the zucchini, onion and a big pinch of salt in the olive oil over high heat until quite deeply brown; you want to drive off the moisture and really caramelize the zucchini to develop the flavor.
2. Combine the zucchini mixture with the goat cheese, smoked paprika, lime zest and juice and mix thoroughly. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Put this mixture into a pastry bag with a big tip, or a zip-loc type bag with a corner cut out.
3. To stuff the zucchini blossoms, gently untwist and pull apart the petals. Pull out the stamens/anthers/pistils as best you can without destroying the flower. Pipe in a good amount of the goat cheese mixture, maybe about 1.5 tablespoons. Pull the petals over the mixture, and give them a little twist. Lay them flat on a plate until ready to fry.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a very small pot to about 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Working one blossom at a time. Pick the flower up from the petal end, using tongs. Dip it about halfway into the tempura batter, then let the excess drip back into the bowl. Hold it in the hot oil, keeping the un-battered part out. Swish it around for about 30 seconds until the batter is browned. Remove to paper towels and season with fleur de sel or other sea salt.
5. Serve with the pesto or chimichurri.

Spicy Nori Popcorn Seasoning - Recipe

Spicy nori furikake seasoning for popcorn

I apologize that it has been a little quiet here at the veg shed, and it probably will be hit and miss for the next few weeks, as family priorities and enjoying the summer take precedence over late night blogging sessions for a bit.

I think you'll enjoy this simple condiment for popcorn, whether you simply eat the heck out of it while watching Forbidden Planet or offering it on the side of a Japanese fusion veggie ceviche.

Technically what we are making here is a very simple furikake, a dry seasoning usually used on rice but actually delicious in many contexts. Gomashio is another example. A good Japanese grocer will sell many such blends, some vegetarian and others not. Making your own opens up a world of possibilities. Grinding the seasoning very finely allows it to adhere to the popcorn.

This will take you all of 5 minutes, you can pretty much knock it out while the corn finishes popping. After you've made it once you'll be easily able to adjust the salt/umami/heat ratio to your own preference.

Spicy Nori Popcorn Seasoning
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free
Makes enough for many, many servings of popcorn

• 2 sheets nori
• 1 dry chili pepper of your choice (morita is nice), seeds and ribs removed
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (fleur de sel is a good choice)

1. Hold a sheet of nori in a pair of tongs and toast lightly over an open medium flame, being careful not to set it on fire or burn your hands. Toast for maybe 20 seconds, moving it around to get the whole sheet. Repeat with the other sheet.
2. Do the same thing with the chili pepper.
3. Break up the nori and the chili pepper small enough to put into a spice grinder, add the salt, and whiz for a long time, until it is a completely fine powder. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
4. Sprinkle liberally on freshly popped corn, tossing to coat.