Savory Plum-Tomato Jam

This is ketchup for grown-ups, a sweet-savory mix with a dash of heat that’s wonderful to have on hand. We’ve added lemongrass—a tangy note—to round out the flavors. We love it with scrambled eggs or omelets; with a hard, aged sheep-milk cheese; or with salty ricotta salata and toasted baguette slices. You can also put a dollop of it on a cucumber round and serve it as a canapé. Our families eat it on just about everything. It keeps for months when refrigerated. It also makes a great gift when presented in a beautiful glass jar.

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

3 pounds plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 small onion (about 8 ounces), chopped

¼ cup honey or packed light brown sugar

1 dried red chile pepper

¾ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 bay leaf

⅓ cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Kosher salt

1 to 2 lemongrass stalks, cut in 2-inch pieces, and bruised (optional)

In a large heavy pot, combine the tomatoes, onion, honey, chile, coriander, cumin, bay leaf, vinegar, and lemon juice. Add salt and lemongrass, if using, to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until reduced, thick, and jammy, about 3 hours. Remove the bay leaf and lemongrass. Transfer to glass jars, cool, and refrigerate.