In early summer, we often need a good use for hard, unripe tomatoes of any color. Here is one great way to give them a job!

Use Tomato Jam as a condiment on anything you can think of. My favorite use for this is as a topping for polenta. If you store it in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container, it will keep for several weeks or longer.

1. Peel and seed tomatoes, and cut them into small cubes.
2. Place in a saucepan (with no additional liquid) over medium heat and cover. When it reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, and continue to let it cook, boiling away, for another 35 minutes, or until it is reduced in volume by 2/3. (In other words, it has been reduced to 1/3 its original volume. This is inexact – you can eyeball it.)
4. Fish out and discard the basil, cool to room temperature, then transfer to a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid, and store for up to several weeks in the refrigerator.