Recipe: Rustic Italian Green-Tomato Jam

Makes 1 1/2 cups 2 pounds green tomatoes (preferably organic), cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (keep the juice and seeds)

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 medium lemons

Pinch of salt

Generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper

3-inch cinnamon stick, broken

1. In a glass or china bowl, toss together the tomatoes, their juice and seeds, and the sugar. Lightly cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 23 hours. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking, then turn mixture into a heavy 4-quart saucepan.

2. With a zester, shred yellow skins of both lemons into tomatoes. Trim and discard the white pith. Cut the lemon's flesh into small pieces, removing and discarding seeds. Stir into the tomatoes with remaining ingredients.

3. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat so jam cooks at a moderate simmer. Cook uncovered for 40 minutes, or until a candy thermometer set in the jam reads 210 degrees. Test by spooning a little jam onto a chilled plate. It should not run. Do not overcook. Turn jam into a bowl to cool. Because of its low sugar content, this must be refrigerated. It will keep 2 weeks in the refrigerator and freeze up to 6 months. Jam is best served at room temperature.

From Lynne Rossetto Kasper