GREEN TOMATOES JAM

When I was young and still living in Italy, I discovered
this original jam at my friend Marisa's house.
Her mother Clelia would make it at the end of summer
so she could use all the tomatoes that were left unripe in
the vegetable garden....clever!!!

Passing by a neighbour garden recently, I saw green tomatoes
hanging, forgotten on few plants.
My memory went quickly back to the past, so I knocked at my
neighbour's door catching the opportunity to be able to make
the precious jam.
"Precious" because if you don't have a vegetable garden it's
impossible to find green tomatoes at the shop.

So here I am with the recipe and some pictures from my recent
jam making!

GREEN TOMATOES JAM

Ingredients:

2 kg of green or half-ripe tomatoes
1 kg of sugar (I use the brown one)
2 organic lemons

Wash tomatoes, clean them from all imperfections (rotten side, insects bites)
and slice them in small pieces.

Wash lemons, grate peels, then squeeze juice.

Mix tomatoes with sugar and lemon juice and let them rest, covered, in the fridge
for one night.

The next day, transfer tomatoes in a big pot and cook them slowly for about one hour.
In the middle of cooking add the lemon zest and stir.
After one hour, spoon out a bit of jam on a plate to check if it is dense,
then you know that jam is ready!

Sterilize glass jars in the dishwasher.
Pour jam in jars when still warm, cover with lids and put them
upside down in a big pot.
Divide jars with a cloth and cover them with cold water.
Boil for 35 minutes in order to sterilize jam so to be preserved.

Keep jars in the pot till water is cold.
At this point the jars with Green tomatoes jam are ready to go on your pantry shelf!

I love this jam on a slice of fresh baguette or to accompany a slice of cheese.

My quick stir-fry

I discovered the art of stir-frying in South Africa!
What a convenient way of cooking fresh delicious veggies!
I prepare the following recipe for a light lunch when my daughter is at home,
because it's one of her favorite dishes.

VEGETABLES AND TOFU STIR-FRY

Ingredients:

half onion
1 clove of garlic
2 inch fresh ginger
4 pealed carrots
4/5 celery sticks
1 red pepper
4/5 shitaki mushrooms
1 small piece of firm tofu
a quarter cup of soy sauce
2 TBS sweet and sour sauce
1 TBS toasted sesame seeds
(you can toast them in wok before starting to cook)

Wash vegetables and cut them in stick shape.
In a wok warm up 2 TBS olive or sesame oil then add sliced onion, garlic and
peeled ginger.
Cook for 1 minute, then add carrots and celery sticks and cook
for 2 minutes.
Add pepper, stir and cook for 1 minute, then add shitaki and
cubed tofu.
Stir well, add soy and sweet and sour sauces and let everything
cook for other 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with basmati rice.

"LA MERENDA "

In Italy around 4pm we give children a "merenda" (snack) to keep them
energetic till dinner time, that is usually around 8pm.
For snack, we prepare nice sandwiches filled with prosciutto or cheese,
brioches spread with jam or Nutella or bread slices topped with tomatoes
and olive oil.
I have blended the Italian snack time with the English tea time and I have
created my treat time in company of a cup of green tea and something nice
to eat.
Today is a rainy day and it's the perfect time to stay home
and prepare something nice for my "merenda":

panini al latte (small, soft breads).

Ingredients:
500 g flour
1 tsp dry yeast
20 cl milk
10 cl water
40 g confectioners sugar
1 tsp salt
80 g melted butter
1 egg yolk

Let yeast melt in lukewarm milk.
In a bowl mix flour with salt, sugar, water and milk with yeast.
Form a dough then add melted butter and mix it well in the dough.
Form a ball, cover with a cloth and let it raise for 1 hour.
Transfer dough on a wooden board and knead it.
Cut it in 16 pieces, knead each one and give them a cilindric form.
With a brush wash egg yolk on top of each panini.

Let them rest for another hour, then bake at 425 F (250 C) for 20 minutes,
till golden.
Let them cool down.
Slice them in half and fill them with ham or cheese....

.....or spread them with Nutella !