So here’s the thing: I loathe tomatoes.  So why would I have something featured on my blog where the main ingredient is a tomato?  No idea; maybe I’m crazy.  I sometimes cook with tomatoes and I don’t mind them but I don’t like to eat them raw.  No tomatoes on my sandwiches or in my salads – gross.  They’re slimy and weird and I just don’t like them.  I do, however, enjoy ketchup.  Ketchup is by far my favorite condiment. That’s right, I like my tomatoes bottled up and filled with sodium and sugar.  Sue me. At any rate, as I mentioned in Wednesday’s blog post, the tomato jalapeño jam was inspired by a dish I used to enjoy at the now defunct Blacksmith’s Bar & Bistro in Chattanooga.  They used to serve this jam on top of their chicken strips dish and it was the perfect blend of spice and sweetness.  I could’ve literally eaten it all weekend but that probably wouldn’t be healthy.  Anyway, I found a recipe on Simply So Good that I thought was the closest to the one that Blacksmith’s used and I didn’t change a thing.  Loved it.

Tomato Jalapeño Jam – from Simply So Good
4 large ripe tomatoes 
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded*
1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, diced
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Peel, seed and chop tomatoes and place in a medium sauce pan.  

Dice the jalapeño peppers and add to pan with tomatoes.  

Add ginger to the tomatoes and peppers then add the sugar, spices, salt and lemon juice.  

Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 – 45 minutes or until thick. 

Refrigerate until ready to use.

*I seeded one pepper and left a few seeds in my jam to add a bit of spiciness.