Spicy Tomato Jam.

Things have been quiet here, which means a lot of life is happening out there. We are recovering after our second food event and already thinking ahead to what's next. Every time we do a dinner, we learn heaps of new things about what it means to be efficient and serve our guests well. Thankfully, we have the best group of "guinea pigs" around ( about 40 friends of my parents).

I wanted to share the take-home gift we prepared with you because it was just so dang good. This Spicy Tomato Jam is the perfect blend of sweet + savory, with a little kick at the end. A new favorite snack has emerged: a cracker, a smear of goat cheese, and a dollop of this jam. I love it!

The recipe is from the amazing book "Food in Jars" by Marisa McClellan, but you can also find it over at fellow Seattle dweller Emmy's blog, Emmy Cooks. I've always suffered from a food-made-in-jars obsession, so making these favors was a treat. I cooked a big 'ole batch-12 pounds of tomatoes went in-and let it simmer for over two hours. So easy and so delicious. We decided not to use a water bath this time and just keep the jars refrigerated. I don't think they will last longer than a week in anyone's house anyway!

Now, what can we make in a jar next?