Tomato-Onion Jam

Layered on olive foccacia bread, yellow tomato, fresh mozzarella
and tomato-onion jam stand ready to go on the panini grill.

There's no good way to photograph this and I'll tell you why. First, I used up my slowly-ripening garden tomatoes that have been sitting on a sheet tray in the dining room for two months. They're more mottled than any single color, though they still taste delicious, and they made the jam a precarious shade of purple I hadn't hoped to see. Second, caramelized onions look terribly inedible to me, brown and transcluent, like ghosts of themselves. Between the description and subsequent hue of my jam, you probably don't even want to make this anymore. Which is why you should ignore me completely and make it. Throw caution to the wind. Just know that you'll end up with a rich, complex, flavorful condiment that moistens a sandwich nicely while managing to be outright good for you. That's right, no mayo needed. Now are you with me?

Tomato-Onion Jam
Makes about a cup

1 tsp olive oil
1 large yellow or white onion, peeled and diced
4 large tomatoes, any kind or color, cored and diced
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
salt & pepper to taste

In a heavy-bottomed pot, warm the oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the onion and toss to coat with oil, then cook with the lid over top for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions go brown and transclucent. Add the tomato, vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and cook, lid on, for another 10 minutes. The tomatoes should cook down quite a bit, making a sauce in the bottom of the pan, but still retain some of their shape. Turn the heat off and taste, seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed. Use on a sandwich now or let cool and store.

Keep the jam in the refrigerator as you would a fruit jam. It goes well on sandwiches with vegetables like eggplant and mushrooms and nearly any kind of melting cheese.