Between Seasons

On a few recent occasions, I have overheard people complaining about the premature trend toward Fall food when it is still Summer. Food blogs and magazines are brandishing pictures of holiday pies, for goodness' sake. Here in Berkeley, I can understand the reticence since Summer often doesn't come to us until September and hangs on, unbearably, until just before Halloween. By that time, we are dying for it. Come the end of October, the fruits of Summer are long gone, and we have entered in to the long stretch of squash, and apples, and pears, and apples, and pears, and apples, and pears. Not that I have anything against those fine fruits. There's nothing like a crisp apple from the new crop, or the ambrosia that is a perfectly ripe pear, but, by Jove, I'm gasping for something different by the time citrus season creeps around.

My plan for this week was to present you with an oldy but a goody: Mark Bittman's Tomato Jam. It has made its rounds in the blogosphere, but I wanted to bring it back to your attention because, damn it, it is so delicious and can be enjoyed in so many ways. When I originally thought to post it, it seemed like the perfect end-of-Summer recipe, while the tomatoes keep on coming (at least the ones in this gardening zone do). However, when I returned from the store to smell this pot of this liquid gold bubbling away on the stove, the spices took me right into Fall and I realized that it leads from Summer into Fall seamlessly.

The prep comes together in a flash. You'll see below that I have not peeled or diced the tomatoes. Simply give them a rough chop and throw them in with the rest of the ingredients. One diversion I make from Bittman's recipe, is to keep the ginger in diced cubes, instead of grating. The ginger softens up completely in the cooking process, but you get these zingy bites of it that liven up the sweetness of the jam. I also tripled the recipe because this stuff condenses mightily in volume and, once you taste it, you will be so sad when you have this tiny little yield of jam. Since the chopping is minimal, you might as well bump it up. Who knows, you might even want to share. Maybe.

This is a seriously versatile jam, people. Luisa enjoys hers with a fried egg on toast. I think it makes a lovely addition to a cheese plate, and an even better spread on a sandwich made with left-overs from a roast. Lamb sandwich, anyone?

The precious! If you don't have a jam funnel, you should.

Tomato Jam
adapted from Mark Bittman

4 1/2 pounds of tomatoes (Bittman says Romas, but I say whatever looks ripe)
3 cups sugar
6 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup ginger, diced into 1/2 cm. cubes
3 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
rounded 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
a 3-fingered pinch of crushed red chile flakes (or more, if you like)

In a large pot, combine roughly chopped tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Bring to a merry boil over medium heat, and cook (stirring occasionally) for about 1 1/4 hours. Things will get very watery and look the same for a good while, but don't lose heart; they will thicken. Once the mixture starts looking like the consistency of sauce you'd put on pasta, start paying attention. It will begin to near the ketchupy stage, which is where you want to catch it. If you cook it too far, it becomes a little more pasty than is ideal. Remove from heat and pour into clean jars. I don't can mine since it doesn't last, though it should linger in your refrigerator for at least a week, safely.