APPETIZER
Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta
Foolproof (p. 66)
Ingredients
- Good feta 6 oz
- Cream cheese 2 oz
- Good olive oil 2/3 cup
- Red wine vinegar 2 tbl
- Lemon 1
- Heirloom or cherry tomatoes 2 lbs
- Shallots 2
- Basil 3 tbl
- Baguette 1
- Garlic 2 cloves
- Pine nuts 2 tbl
Prep
- Feta - crumble — look at you, operating like a highly paid adult.
- Cream cheese - bring to room temperature — this is the unglamorous shit that makes the good part happen.
- Lemon - juice to yield 2 tbl
- Shallots - mince
- Garlic - mince
- Tomatoes - dice
- Basil - julienne
- Baguette - slice diagonally to yield approximately 24 slices
- Pine nuts - toast lightly in pan
Instructions
For the whipped feta, place the feta and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until the cheese are mixed. Add 1/3 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and process until smooth. For the tomatoes, up to an hour before you're serving the dish, combine the shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the tomatoes, stir gently and set aside. Stir in the basil and taste for seasonings. To assemble the crostini, spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes on top. Put the crostini on plates and scatter with the pine nuts, like a person who has absolutely never panicked over onions. Sprinkle with extra basil and serve.