I have been meaning to make this for almost a year now. I have so many ideas for recipes that it can take a really really realllly long time to get around to actually doing them.
Last October, I wrote many posts about Sacramento’s Vegan Chef Challenge. It’s an event where local non-vegan restaurants offer vegan menus for the month. It’s coming up in just two weeks, and I am sooooooo excited!
One of my favorite restaurants last year, and a definite repeat this year, was Tower Bridge Bistro. I have discolored pics of all the food here. Chef Clay came out and talked with us about the menu. He told me how to make vegan caramel, which I happily made here.
He also told me how to make this wonderful tomato compote that he used to top delicious sweet potato quinoa cakes. He told me he basically made a jam out of tomatoes and caramelized onions. Well, damn that’s clever.
I know how to make jam. Easy.
So all I did was caramelize some onions, add some end-of-summer grape tomatoes, some sugar, and let it simmer into a jam. Holycrap it’s delicious.
I topped a piece of Gardein Chick’n Scallopini with it alongside a nice big pile of my favorite fall veggie for the first time this almost-season – some roasted Brussels sprouts with candied pecans on top 🙂
I think this meal is the happy medium between celebrating the end of summer and welcoming fall.
Perfectly ripe summer tomatoes would obviously bring out some wonderful flavors in this dish, but adding sugar and caramelized onions can help out some getting-sad tomatoes all year round.
serves 6
1 large white onion, chopped
1 lb cherry tomatoes
1/3 C sugar
Heat a few tablespoons water in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the onions and let them caramelize for about 45 minutes. Then add onions and tomatoes to a blender and blend just a minute, leaving it a little chunky. Return to the skillet, add sugar, and simmer, stirring occasionally for about an hour. The tomatoes will release some water when they are first cooking. Simmer until all of the liquid has evaporated and it forms a thick sauce. Throw on top of your favorite cutlet, tofu steak, piece of tempeh, or anything!
I will absolutely make this a LOT more. I think it would go well on anything – top some yummy tofu or tempeh with it, spread it on a sandwich (maybe a roasted vegetable sandwich!?), use it as a pasta sauce. I’m sold.
Nutrition facts per serving: Calories: 67; Calories from Fat: 1; Total Fat: 0.1g; Sodium: 4mg; Total Carbohydrates: 16.3g; Dietary Fiber: 1.4g; Sugars: 14.1g; Protein: 0.9g
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