Jam Dressing

 

Photo by Amy Wing

I don't know about you but I am a huge fan of jam. Eating it, canning it, licking it off of toast. I think I learned that from my dad who eats a bit of toast with his jam.

Two summers ago I experimented with interesting jams. I now have a few jars of them sitting around and want to use them up. I have started using them as bases for salad dressings. I generally like sweet dressings (poppyseed dressing, I am talking to you!) so a sweet fruity base fits my preferences.

Photo by Amy Wing

I have posted about fig jam vinaigrette here. This recipe is slightly different then the following because it using balsamic vinegar rather then rice vinegar. The strong fig flavor can handle the darker vinegar. For lighter jams I think a bit of lemon juice and rice vinegar provide just enough bite to let the fruit shine through.


In these pics I am using a pear ginger jam I made two summers ago. It was used to dress a grain salad I will be posting, but is also great on a green salad.

Photo by Amy Wing

Experiment with different jams and let me know what you think. I imagine apricot would be lovely with roasted veggies. Blueberry with a steak salad would be fancy, and strawberry over spinach and goat cheese would be very Springy.


Thank you Amy Wing for these beautiful photos!

Basic Jam Dressing (Makes about 1 pint)

1/4 - 1/2 cup jam (start with less and add more until the flavor pops)
1 cup rice vinegar (not salted vinegar)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic minced
a bit of fresh herbs if you have them
1 tablespoon kosher salt (use less if using table salt)
1/2 cup good olive oil

1. Add all ingredients, except oil, into a clean pint jar. Close with a tight fitting lid and shake well.
2. Add olive oil and shake until it appears slightly thick.
3. Taste and adjust jam if needed.


Store in the refridgerator and shake well before using.

Other jam recipes:
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Grilled Figgy Sandwiches
Fig Jam
Daily Yogurt
Roasted Tomato Jam