easy fig jam

My mom informed me just the other day that the figs were 'coming on.' I can't tell you how excited I am for that, which is a change for me - growing up, I would eat fig preserves, but absolutely hated the fruit. A texture thing.

In my more 'mature' (ahem) adult years, I have learned to like figs pretty much any way I can get them. So I am already bookmarking some fig recipes to try this summer.

In the meantime, while we wait, here is a series of pictures (that I took summer of 2012 and never did anything with, that I can remember), along with a super easy way to make fig jam.  Give it a try, especially if you have a lot of figs and having a hard time using them up before they spoil - we know how quickly that can happen.

Easy Fig Jam

Wash figs and remove stems; slice figs. Place in a microwave-safe dish and cover with sugar.  There is no set amount of sugar, I just take a half cup or so and sprinkle over and if it looks like I need more, I add more.  If you don't want that much sugar, add less; if it needs more, add more. Also - my mom makes her jam in a single layer in a casserole dish. Me being a bit impatient with that, I layer the figs in deeper dishes, and pour a bit of the sugar over each layer before adding the next.

Cover the dish with a glass lid or sturdy plastic wrap. Microwave for 5-6 minutes on high; carefully remove from the microwave (don't burn yourself!) and check the 'doneness' of the figs. Return to the microwave and repeat cooking and checking in 3 minute intervals until the figs are soft and the sugar/fig juices have turned to syrup. Remove from microwave, let cool a few minutes to safely hold the dish, and smash to desired consistency with a potato masher - be careful not to splash hot syrup on your skin.  Let cool completely and put in freezer bags to freeze or jars to refrigerate.

You MUST make homemade biscuits with these - delish.

jammin' with tomato jam

One of the greatest, if not THE greatest, things about summer is the supply of fresh tomatoes from the gardens of my mom and my brothers.  During the practically flavorless tomato based meals of winter, it's what I think of with longing in my heart.

The standby recipes are fresh salsa, roasted tomatoes, incredible spaghetti sauce, and best of all, just plain old room temp thick slices dusted with salt & pepper - nothing better.

But I do like to experiment, so when I saw this recipe from Food Loves Writing, I had to give it a try. I ended up cooking it for about 2 hours, 15 minutes before I got the consistency I wanted, but hey, that's okay - it's summer and I have all the time in the world. Well, not really, but I was home that day anyway...

In addition to making the jam, Dillon and I had grilled cheese for supper that night (see below).  It was so good, we had it again for Sunday lunch after church, when Dalton was home, and it was a hit with him too.

If you have an abundance of tomatoes that you are tired of canning or putting in the freezer, give this a try. I think you'll be glad you did. The small amount of honey adds sweetness, but the real sweetness comes from the long slow cookdown of the onions and tomatoes. Heaven in a pot.

Tomato Jam (adapted from recipe found in the cookbook Herbivarious by Michael Natkin; I originally found the recipe in the blog linked above)
Makes about one cup

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, peeled and diced
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced small
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Combine the tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, basil, honey and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir in cayenne pepper and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then adjust the heat to keep the tomatoes simmering until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy. This will likely take a couple of hours. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like. Serve at room temperature. 

Grilled Cheese our way:

Butter one side each of two slices of good whole wheat bread. On the opposite side of one slice, layer slices of sharp cheddar cheese and fresh mozzarella. Top with chopped basil leaves. On the other slice, spread tomato jam on unbuttered side, and place on top of cheese/basil, tomato jam side down. (In other words, just make a grilled cheese sandwich, butter on the outside, haha). Grill until toasty golden brown on each side, and the cheese is all melty and gooey and perfect. Cut in half for easy access, and enjoy. Resist temptation to make and devour a 2nd sandwich. Or don't resist. :D