• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 dried chipotle pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 12 oz can cola
• 1/2 c vinegar, white or apple cider
• 1 squirt yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt and black pepper to taste
• hot sauce to taste
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

Over a medium heat, sautee onion, garlic, and pepper in olive oil in a medium saucepan until onion is soft and translucent. Add tomato paste and sautee 2-3 minutes, mixing with vegetables. Add all but the  last 3 ingredients and stir to mix. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour, stirring periodically. It should thicken quite a bit.

Add lemon juice and hot sauce to taste. Add liquid smoke, if desired.

The mixture will be chunky. If you want a smoother sauce whir in a food processor for a few seconds until smooth.

Prep time on this is, like, five minutes. Slice your tomato, arrange on three leaves of rinsed romaine lettuce, sprinkle generously with salt and sprinkle with garlic. Sprinkle some capers, whole. Top with fine parsley and then drizzle with oil then a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar.

My guest was so antsy to eat tomatoes tonight that he kept peeking over my shoulder. He only ate maybe two hours before hand and he ate almost the whole plate and then asked for seconds.

A variation could include some lime juice in place of the balsamic with just a pinch of lime zest. Or you could sprinkle some hard boiled egg yolks on top with a pinch of cayenne. You could even dash some a hard cheese such as parmesan on there if you wanted. Let me know how the variations taste because I think they sound awesome. Rock on.

This was just an appetizer for our Tony’s pizza. We had some pictures to share, but my dinner guest didn’t know how to save the pictures to his phone. Just now we went up to pick up my Community Supported Agriculture produce from East Farms here in Utah. I’ll have to tell you all about the loot that I got. Some good stuff including rhubarb and fresh celery. I’m quite excited to tell you about it. Oh how I wish I had pictures to share.

Ham, Olive, and Tomato Sandwiches.

http://www.smorgasbite.com/2008/12/sandwiches/

I didn’t take the time to make this myself but it looks wonderful. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. This is like a bacon, lettuce & tomato but with a twist. I love green olives. Not big on pork, but I may have to try this one.

Thank you Hilary.