Green Tomato Jam
The Annual Forum Dinner is organized by the Vermont Fresh Network ( VFN ), a member-based nonprofit working to cultivate the farmer-chef relationship . The event tasks Vermont chefs to create bites highlighting ingredients from a local farm . Shelburne Farms Executive Chef John Patterson paired with a producer just down the dirt road , our organic Market Garden , as well as Ayers Brook Goat Dairy in Randolph , VT .
SHELBURNE FARMS
We ’ ve hosted the Forum Dinner for 25 years , setting the scene for the grazing farm-to-table dinner which serves as VFN ’ s largest fundraiser : all proceeds go to continuing programming that helps bring more Vermont-grown and raised food to the table . For the event , Chef John highlighted a quintessential Vermont summer crop — the tomato — in his goat ’ s milk curd with tomato and bayleaf , topped with a bright green tomato jam . “ I ’ m a big fan of green tomatoes because you ’ re utilizing the plant from start to finish ,” explains John . “ In this dish , I used the jam to offer a pop of sweetness to contrast the richness of the cooked tomatoes and the goat curd and excite the palate .”
Try Chef John ’ s green tomato jam recipe after pulling those last unripe tomatoes from the vine . His tip : “ I like to add the chopped tomatoes during the last ten minutes of boiling time to keep some of their texture . I actually like it where there are little bits of tomato that you can bite into . It ’ s great on cheese plates .”
INGREDIENTS
• 3 lb green tomatoes
• 16 oz sugar , by weight
• 1 cup water
• 4 Tbsp apple pectin
• 1 large lemon , zest and juice
• 1 tsp coriander ( or more if you like )
• ¼ tsp chili flake
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste
Serves 20
INSTRUCTIONS
1 . CUT the green tomato into a small dice ( avoid the seeds ). In a small bowl , TOSS the diced tomato with the pectin and 1 / 3 of the sugar .
2 . In a heavy bottom pan , COMBINE the remaining sugar , water , lemon juice , and spices and bring to a SIMMER . Continue to cook until liquid mixture is reduced by ½ of the original volume .
3 . FOLD in the green tomato mixture and continue to cook for 10 minutes making sure to STIR continuously . After 10 minutes , TRANSFER mixture to a small bowl to COOL .
4 . FINISH by seasoning with salt to taste .