When I think of summer, I invariably think of tomatoes. One of my core childhood memories growing up in Spain is running home from a day at the beach, delightfully exhausted but dehydrated, and immediately reaching for a tomato straight off the vine in our generous neighbors' garden for a quick snack before dinner. Then the joy of biting into it, so juicy and sweet and still warm from the sun!
Of course, as an adult, this makes me a tomato snob because I have yet to find tomatoes at a regular grocery store that taste like summer in Spain. However, when I do find delicious, sun-ripened tomatoes at
my local farmers market, I buy as many as I estimate I can eat in the span of a few days. Yet knowing summer's almost over and the tomato crops are soon to dwindle at the farmer's market, this week I bought a few more than usual just to make a batch of compote.
My tomato compote is sweet and savory. It captures summer in a jar, with a touch of heat from red pepper flakes, a nod to Spain with sweet smoked paprika, plus fresh ginger for added complexity and warmth.
This tomato compote is
great on bagels, as a spread in sandwiches, or simply scooped atop a slice of warm crusty bread. It can also
elevate a
charcuterie board, since it pairs beautifully with so many cheeses
--goat cheeses or a classic Manchego come immediately to mind.
As a bonus, the lingering hint of heat (from the pepper flakes and ginger) and its smoky undertones (from the Spanish paprika) adds an unexpected gourmet touch.
My version of tomato compote takes mere minutes to prep, and about an hour of simmering over medium-low heat to reduce to a proper jammy texture. The good news is it doesn't require a lot of active effort other than the occasional stir. This means you can go about your afternoon and multitask around the house (or watch your favorite NFL team play) while the tomato compote simmers to perfection. Read on for the recipe.
GATHER AND PREP YOUR INGREDIENTS
For enough tomato compote to fill an 8-ounce jar (=about 30-35 teaspoons), you will need:
- 2-3 medium fresh, ripened tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of sundried tomatoes (the kind that's sold preserved in oil)
- 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger root
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- A glug of apple cider vinegar (about 2-3 tablespoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH of: Red pepper flakes, sweet smoked paprika, cumin powder, and kosher salt.
PANTRY QUEEN TIP
For the best flavor, never refrigerate your tomatoes. If you're not among the lucky who grow their own, aim to buy them from local growers to reduce the possibility that they were refrigerated for days in produce trucks for long distance transportation to their final points of sale. Personally, I find the best way to store tomatoes is at room temperature in a well ventilated container (such as a wicker basket), with the stem facing down.
- A medium (~2 quart) cast iron enameled saucepan like this one (or a similarly heavy-bottomed saucepan)
GET COOKING
Start by grating your fresh ginger root and mincing the sun-dried tomatoes.
Next, core and medium dice your fresh tomatoes. There is no need to peel the tomatoes since the peel adds nicely to texture of the compote!
Transfer the chopped tomatoes to the saucepan, and then top with the remaining ingredients--all of them.
Give it all a good stir to blend and turn the heat on to medium-high. At this stage, the sugar and vinegar will start drawing all the liquid from the tomatoes and you'll soon find that you have a fairly soupy mix.
As soon as it starts to boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently--and uncovered--for about one hour, checking progress every 15 minutes or so.
PANTRY QUEEN TIP
The quality of the spices will make a difference in this recipe, because when the liquid reduces, it will amplify the flavor of the spices as they co-mingle and develop. As such, it helps to use the freshest ginger you can find (I get mine at the farmers market), and authentic Spanish smoked paprika (I buy it online from this specialty vendor).
You'll notice the liquid will start evaporating and reducing in volume, and the texture will start to darken and thicken over time.
PANTRY QUEEN TIP
Roughly 30-40 minutes into the simmer process, the tomato compote mix will have developed its flavor. This is a good time to test and adjust the following three ingredients (if needed) to suit your own taste. You can add more red pepper flakes for a little extra heat, more apple cider vinegar for a tangy kick (or for acidity to balance the sweetness), and/or more salt for overall depth.
Keep reducing until you see the bottom of the saucepan when you stir. At this point, the mixture should be thick and jammy but still somewhat juicy. If after an hour the mixture has not yet achieved this consistency, keep simmering (but keep a close eye on it to prevent over-reducing).
Turn off the heat and allow the compote to cool down at room temperature; it will continue to thicken in consistency as it cools.
Please resist the temptation to put it in the fridge to expedite the process.
The photo below shows what the tomato compote looks like once it's cooled down and ready to use.
This tomato compote can be stored in the fridge for up to ten days in an airtight container (I use recycled glass jars from the grocery store). To enjoy it year round, make a larger batch to portion out and freeze (you can thaw it in the fridge when you are ready).
Personally, struggle to keep it around longer than a day or two. My new favorite way to use it is on "Everything" bagels--along with plain whipped cream cheese, pickled capers and finely sliced red onion. Whichever way you choose to try my tomato compote, I hope you enjoy it!
