Description
A great appetizer that introduces pickled tomatoes. A great use for the end of the year garden, and when topped onto some goat cheese, the balance is just perfect.
Ingredients
- 8 whole Small To Medium Vine Tomatoes, Ripened, Halved
- 1 teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns
- 2 whole Bay Leaves
- 3 cloves Garlic, Smashed
- 1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1-½ cup Water
- 1 whole French Baguette, Sliced
- ¼ cups Olive Oil
- ½ cups Goat Cheese, Room Temperature
Preparation
Start by pickling your tomatoes. In a sauce pan, combine the peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, vinegar, salt, honey and water. Give it a good stir, then bring to a boil. Stir until your salt is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat, let the mixture cool for about five minutes.
Add your tomatoes to a large glass jar, or a sealable container that’s large enough to hold the tomatoes. Just make sure it’s large enough to not only hold all of the tomatoes, but also have room for the pickling liquid. Pour all of the ingredients from the sauce pan into the container to completely cover the tomatoes. Seal the jar or container, and place in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
To make your crostini, preheat your oven to 350 F.
Brush olive oil onto the top of each slice of baguette and place onto a large baking sheet.
Place into the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until they are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool.
Spread the goat cheese on the top of each crostini, making a thin base. If you have extra goat cheese, add more to each crostini.
Next, take some of the pickled tomatoes, and gently place them on top of each crostini. They will pretty much have a soft texture and be easily spreadable.
That’s it. Simple stuff but extremely delicious. Taking a bite yields a nice crunch from the crostini, then the creaminess of the cheese, balanced by the tartness of the pickled tomato. I can say no more, it’s just really great. Hope you enjoy.
