Our holidays officially came to an end last weekend with a family party down the shore. It’s always an event, with forty of us packed together to conclude the festive season amidst an over-the-top spread of food and beverages. Almost every attendee arrives with a dish in tow, so there’s never a shortage. In fact, there’s so much food (all of it being utterly delicious) that I find it difficult to be impressive with my contribution.

The appetizer portion of the evening is so overwhelming that, by the time dinner comes, I feel as if I’m busting at the seams. My game plan this year was to make something that would accompany the first round of eating, ensuring that everyone would have the appetite to be able to sample my recipe. Minutes after I plastered my last piece of crostini with sun-dried tomato jam, my appetizer was gone. Success.

Sun-Dried Tomato Jam

Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

• 1 (8-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped, oil reserved
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ½ onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 baguette, cut into slices and toasted

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil, olive oil, onion, and garlic. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and beginning to brown at the edges, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sugar, vinegar, water, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue simmering until most of the liquid is reduced and the mixture is the consistency of jam, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Allow to cool and place a spoonful on toasted baguette slices.

Sun-dried tomatoes, on their own, are one of the easiest ways to add panache to salads, pastas, omelets, even sandwiches. Cooked down with onions and garlic, and simmered gently for a bit of time amidst the flavors of vinegar and broth, they even make bread seem special. Your timing may vary in the final step when most of the liquid cooks out, but be patient and trust your eye; you may need more than 10 minutes. Allowing the jam to cool will also set any extra juices and leave you with a chunky, thick topping.

I love making recipes like this, for condiments or spreads, because the opportunities to use them are endless. This jam is so delightful that it’s even perfectly acceptable to eat by the spoonful. I may have been caught red-handed doing just that last weekend, and I have no regrets. With the record timing in which the jam and crostini were eaten, I’m glad I allowed myself a few scoops.

Casey Ann is a local foodie and blogger. Check out her recipes and reviews at www.cleanpl8.com