On Saturday morning I rolled my Igloo cooler and all the Yummy Mummy accessories needed to make tomato jam at the green market on Greenwich Street. The wind and the rain were blowing sideways, and a thought came to mind: Well who will come out in this?
I got my answer and how. Lots and lots of Tribecans. Little ones. Seasoned ones. Running ones. Meandering ones. But mostly, ones with questions about tomatoes.
One older gentleman asked what had happened to the Jersey tomatoes over the past 10-15 years. He described having been able to buy the most delicious and cheapest tomatoes from the farmer’s markets years ago, and now?
“They have no taste at all. Well, more taste than those pieces of red Styrofoam they sell at the supermarket.”
I laughed. Now, I am going to say right up front that one of the only things that I cannot eat, all food philosophy and ethic aside, is a raw tomato. Having to turn them down amongst foodies always gets me the stink eye. But, people, I can’t. I would if I could. But.
However, my dad, a Georgia-born man who grew up with very, very little except, it seems, a real richness in his mother’s homegrown tomatoes becomes a poet when talking about the tomatoes of his childhood. He talks about fried green tomatoes and slicing up a raw red tomato, sprinkling on a little pinch of salt, and biting in. At this point he goes into a sort of altered state remembering that bite of long ago.
He is in good company. People are passionate about their tomatoes. Their questions and, above all, their sheer interest in the fruit completely made my day. Meanwhile, Avery, the green market manager, and I fed them up with the buttermilk biscuits I had made, fresh, local cheddar cheese, and a hearty dollop of tomato jam on top.
P.S. I used mostly Jersey Golds to make my jam at no detriment to the jam whatsoever. In fact, I used the most pedestrian tomatoes at the green market on purpose. They transform when cooked. For eating raw, go for the heirlooms, my friends. Even without biting into one, I can tell with my nose. They’re like a complex perfume with many notes. The flavor must be heavenly.
Tomato Jam
*3 c. (about 2 lbs.) tomatoes, diced (plum or heirlooms work well here)
*2T. olive oil
*1/2 c. chopped sweet onion (e.g. shallots, red, etc.)
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*2 t. ground ginger
*1/2 t. ground cinnamon
*1 t. dried thyme
*1/2 t. dried basil
*1/3 c. honey
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion until translucent. Add in the garlic and saute a minute longer. Then, throw in the ginger, thyme, and basil and stir for a few seconds. Finally, add the tomatoes and the honey and cook for 10-15 minutes over medium-high heat until most of the water evaporates and the jam thickens.
Store for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container, refrigerated.
