This unusual and very tasty recipe came from one of the Kansas 4-H Foundation's Gourmet Get Aways. Those benefits were fantastic – a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach and I continue to use the recipes that were featured at those outstanding events.

I have substituted a good quality canned tomato (drained) for the ripe tomatoes . . . then just skipped down to step #5 in the Tomato Jam recipe.

Tomato Jam w/ Rosemary Cookies

Tomato Jam Makes about 2 cups

5 large ripe tomatoes ( or the equivalent of 5; about 2¼ lbs.)

2¼ cups granulated sugar

2 to 3 grinds of black pepper

Big pinch of salt

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cut out the stem end of the tomatoes, then cut a shallow “X” on the opposite side. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove the tomatoes from the water with a slotted spoon, cool briefly, and slip off their skins. Discard the water, but reserve the saucepan to cook the jam.

2. Cut the tomatoes in half at their equator and gently squeeze out the seeds & water. Dice the tomatoes into ½ ” pieces.

3. Put the diced tomatoes back into the large saucepan, stir in the sugar, and grind in the pepper. Cook the mixture over low to medium heat, reducing the heat and stirring if the mixture foams up to the top of the pan.

4. When most of the liquid has cooked off, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. If using a candy thermometer, the temperature now will read 220°. Let the jam cool thoroughly. Blend in food processor for a few minutes to achieve a blended consistency if desired.

5. Store in the refrigerator.

6. Serve chilled or allow to come to room temperature.

Rosemary Cookie Dough

Recipe instructions specify to sandwich a scant ½ Tbsp. of the jam between 2 cookies. But, the cookies were served w/ jam for self-spreading at the event & I believe I prefer them that way.

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

10 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup stone-ground cornmeal or polenta

½ teaspoon salt

1. Beat the butter and the sugar together, by hand or with an electric mixer, for 1 minute, just until smooth. Mix in the egg yolks, then the rosemary.

2. Stir in the flour, cornmeal or polenta, and salt. Mix until the dough is smooth and holds together.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into 2 cylinders, each about 6” long and 1 3/4” wide. Chill thoroughly. (Or wrap in foil and freeze; thaw and continue with remaining steps at a later time.)

3. To bake the cookies, adjust 2 oven racks to the upper and lower parts of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Slice the cookie dough into ¼ ” rounds and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about ½ ” apart.

5. Bake cookies for about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets midway during baking, until the edges brown slightly.

6. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and set them on wire racks to cool the cookies.

Recipe without photos . . .