Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Crostini
I love when tomatoes come into season. The farmer’s markets here explode with all the bright colors of fresh tomatoes, making it almost impossible to resist buying them. I always dread the days when summer ends and these gorgeous tomatoes are no longer available. That’s why I’m not wasting any time eating as many tomatoes as I can before the season ends. Our neighbors recently had a crab picking (like I’ve said before, we really have the best neighbors), and I wanted to take something light and fresh as an appetizer. The crostini were the perfect way to showcase the tomatoes without being too filling.
The idea for these crostini came from a pizza recipe that Eric and I regularly make during summer (and one that I seriously need to share with you guys). It uses roasted tomatoes, and it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’ll eat a few while making the rest of the pizza. I love the way roasting brings out the sweetness from the tomatoes, while also concentrating their flavor. I’ve seen similar methods for preserving tomatoes (tomato confit), and I can think of so many things these tomatoes would be good in/on. I had a pretty specific idea in mind when I made these. Since the crab picking was outside, I wanted to make something that didn’t need to be refrigerated and that would be easy and refreshing to eat. Crostini are a natural choice because the flavor combinations are practically limitless, and you don’t need a plate or utensils in order to eat them. I chose goat cheese because of its mild flavor, easy spreadability and the fact that goat cheese and tomatoes just seem made for one another. The result – an appetizer that epitomizes the simplicity and freshness of summer dining – was insanely delicious, especially considering the small amount of time and prep that went into it.
Not a fan of tomatoes? Goat cheese and roasted peppers make wonderful crostini, too.
- COOK TIME:
1 French baguette, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 pint cherry or other small tomatoes, halved
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 ounces goat cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or oregano, for serving
- 1
Preheat broiler to high. Place baguette slices on a large baking sheet and generously brush with olive oil. Broil until the edges are golden brown but the bread is still slightly soft in the center. Allow to cool slightly, then arrange on a serving platter.
- 2
Preheat oven to 350º. Combine the tablespoon of olive oil, tomatoes, dried oregano, salt and pepper in a medium bowl, tossing gently to coat. Place tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the garlic slices in between the tomatoes. Roast until soft, 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool. (Tomatoes can be made up to 4 days in advance. Store tomatoes and their juices in an airtight container in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before using.)
- 3
To make the crostini, spread a small amount of goat cheese on each baguette slice. Top each slice with 3-4 tomato halves. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or oregano and serve immediately.
These look gorgeous, I love roasted tomatoes (in fact I just posted about them myself!), I bet they go so well with the goat’s cheese!
This sounds so awesome! Yum!
These sound delicious! Beautiful photos!
These look delicious! I love fresh tomatoes paired with goat cheese. Awesome for an appetizer or light lunch 🙂