Whenever I use sun-dried tomatoes I only use a handful since they are so flavorful, which means I am often left with most of a bag that I don't know what to do with. This savory jam recipe uses up leftover dry (non-oil packed) sun-dried tomatoes and creates a delicious topping for whipped ricotta crostini or as a flavor-packed sauce for a pan pizza or even as a dipping sauce for arancini. When you start making the jam it might look like the balance of onion to tomato is off, but just remember that the onion will cook down and the tomatoes will plump up.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato halves, thinly sliced
1/2 a small sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine
1 1/2 tablespoons mild vinegar (rice vinegar or white/red wine vinegar)
3/4 cup veggie stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon honey
salt, as needed
pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat, then add onion and tomato. Stir to coat everything in oil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened and become translucent and the tomatoes are starting to just barely caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the wine and scrape any caramelized bits off the bottom. Add the vinegar and the bay leaf and cook until the wine has reduced a bit, maybe 2 minutes. Add the veggie stock and honey, taste for salt levels and add more if needed then season with pepper. Cover the pot and turn heat down to low. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and give everything a good stir. The tomatoes should have softened and plumped. Remove the bay leaf and then either use an immersion blender to pulse a few times to break up large chunks or transfer to a food processor to pulse 2-3 times. Return mixture to pot and allow it to simmer for a few minutes to continue to thicken. Remove from heat when it is the thickness you'd like. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve warm or cold.
