This week I took a leap of faith and tried two recipes that seemed a little…out there. Maybe you’ve had tomato jam before, but I certainly haven’t, and I’ve always been quite curious (and slightly skeptical). But now seemed a good time to give it a go! I have also been musing about using veg purees in yeast breads and buns, so decided to give carrot rolls a try as well. I am very pleased to announce that both the tomato jam and carrot dinner rolls are delicious (and happen to go nicely together). If you’re not feeling up to making jam or buns this week, look below for some other ideas.
More Magnificent Meal Musings:
- Brown Butter Biscuits with Caramelized Onions
- Carrot Pie
- Beet Risotto
- Beet Burgers
- Tomato Sauce with Onion, Carrot, Zucchini, Pepper, Basil, and Oregano
Carrot Dinner Rolls
This recipe comes from the Taste of Home website. I halved the recipe, but you can find the original recipe here. They're a very sweet orange colour, and are a perfect accompaniment to soups and stews, or topped with sharp cheddar and tomato jam (see recipe below!).
Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced carrots
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup warm water 110° to 115°, divided
- 1 packages 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 6 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp molasses
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
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Place carrots in a saucepan and cover with water; cook until tender. Drain and cool slightly. Place in a blender or food processor. Add eggs and 1/4 cup water; puree until smooth.
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In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in remaining water. Add carrot mixture. Stir in oil, sugar, molasses, salt and 4 1/4 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
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Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
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Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into 24 balls. Place 2-in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour.
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Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
Tomato Jam
Tomato jam is new to me! This jam is sweet and subtly spicy, and pairs perfectly with sharp cheddar. I plan on making mini sandwiches for lunch this week on the carrot buns (see above) slathered with tomato jam and topped with cheddar and mizuna. Sounds good, right? I found this delightful recipe on NYT Cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds tomatoes about 2 1/2 – 3 cups, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup sugar (it is originally 1 cup, but I halved it)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice lemon juice or vinegar also works!
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated or minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- jalapeno, cayenne, or habanero pepper finely mince any amount that feels suitable to your spice tolerance (optional)
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
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Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then cool and refrigerate until ready to use; this will keep at least a week.