Slow Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini
Thanks to the lovely and talented Selma of Selma’s Table, a beautiful and delicious blog that I implore you to visit, I am participating in my very first blog party in celebration of Fiesta Friday’s first anniversary. Very exciting. There is such a wonderful community of bloggers, and I love meeting new friends who are so gracious and welcoming. I’m looking forward to meeting many more at the fiesta!
To get the party started, today’s theme is “happy hour,” and since happy hour isn’t complete without drinks and little bites I am sharing a few wine recommendations and my delicious recipe for slow roasted tomatoes, which I love to serve over goat cheese-topped, crispy baguette slices. Such an easy and beautiful appetizer. I hope you love it!
Let’s begin with a drink, shall we? I am not much of a cocktail aficionado, but I am a wine lover, and these crostini pair beautifully with a crisp, cool white wine. These are my three favorites, and each one will compliment the tangy, creamy goat cheese, and the jammy, sweet tomatoes. It’s a winning combo whichever wine you choose. The first is Despagne Eclat de Sauvignon—a lovely, crisp white from the Bordeaux region of France. This wine won my heart with its refreshingly tart, almost effervescent grapefruit notes. I was pretty impressed with myself on this one, because I immediately tasted the grapefruit notes and, later, when I did some research I saw that many other tasters had described it this way! Next is my old standby: Pinot Grigio. I am a big fan of Cavit Pinot Grigio—Italian, crisp, fruity but not sweet. I have often described it as a very “friendly” wine, since everyone likes it and it’s always invited to the party. Finally, the H.B. Picpoul de Pinet is a wonderfully intriguing wine made in the South of France. It is crisp and dry with hints of citrus—delicate, floral, and really worth trying. These are three of my favorite whites—and guess what—they are all under $10 (at least they are at my local Wegmans!). In my opinion, good wine does not mean expensive wine. Drink what you love—life is too short to drink bad, expensive wine.
Now, on to the recipe. A printable version is at the bottom of my post, but here is the step-by-step with photos.
**I originally published this recipe in a piece called “When Life Gives You Tomatoes, Make Crostini” on DCFud.com, a great online food magazine covering the DC metro area. Check it out!**
Slow Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients:
- Lots of smaller tomatoes such as roma, cherry, or grape, halved—about 8 cups (they shrink during the roasting process)
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- salt and pepper
- pinch or two of red pepper flakes to taste
- fresh herbs—oregano and thyme are my favorites
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
To prepare:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Toss gently to coat the tomatoes and spread the entire mixture evenly on a parchment lined, large rimmed baking sheet or two sheets. You want an even layer with no overlapping.
Roast for 4-6 hours, gently tossing occasionally (or just shake and rotate the pan). The time is broad, I know, but it depends on the juiciness and size of your tomatoes and your oven. The tomatoes will shrink and their juices will dry slightly. Don’t take them too far; you want them to still have some juiciness. This really needs to be judged by eye, so just check on them occasionally.
Enjoy straight from the oven, or transfer, along with all juices and herbs, to a mason jar or other storage container, cover with more olive oil and store in refrigerator.
Note: The olive oil will harden upon refrigeration. Allow refrigerated tomatoes to sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes before using.
Slow Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini
Ingredients:
- Baguette, or any good bread, sliced 1/4 inch thick on an angle
- slow roasted tomatoes
- Fresh goat cheese
- Fresh basil
To prepare:
Drizzle or brush bread slices lightly with olive oil, and either toast in a 350 degree oven 10-15 minutes, or gently toast in a grill pan or skillet until lightly golden on both sides, but still tender in the middle. Transfer to a platter and smear with a tablespoon or two of goat cheese, top with oven roasted tomatoes, and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil. Enjoy!
Slow Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini
For the Slow Roasted Tomatoes:
Ingredients:
- Lots of smaller tomatoes such as roma, cherry, or grape, halved—about 8 cups (they shrink during the roasting process)
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- salt and pepper
- pinch or two of red pepper flakes to taste
- fresh herbs, oregano and thyme are my favorites
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
To prepare:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Toss gently to coat the tomatoes and spread the entire mixture evenly on a parchment-lined, large rimmed baking sheet or sheets. You want an even layer with no overlapping.
Roast for 4-6 hours, gently tossing occasionally (or just shake and rotate the pan). The time is broad, I know, but it depends on the juiciness and size of your tomatoes and your oven. The tomatoes will shrink and their juices will dry slightly. Don’t take them too far; you want them to still have some juiciness. This really needs to be judged by eye, so just check on them occasionally.
Enjoy straight from the oven, or transfer, along with all juices and herbs, to a mason jar or other storage container, cover with more olive oil and store in refrigerator.
Note: The olive oil will harden upon refrigeration. Allow refrigerated tomatoes to sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes before using.
To make and assemble the Slow Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini:
Ingredients:
- Baguette, or any good bread, sliced 1/4 inch thick on an angle
- Oven roasted tomatoes
- Fresh goat cheese
- Fresh basil
To prepare:
Drizzle or brush bread slices lightly with olive oil, and either toast in a 350 degree oven 10-15 minutes, or gently toast in a grill pan or skillet until lightly golden on both sides, but still tender in the middle. Transfer to a platter and smear each with a tablespoon or two of goat cheese, top with oven roasted tomatoes, and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil. Enjoy!
Let’s connect!:
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Welcome to FF! I absolutely love slow roasted tomatoes. This is such a fantastic combination of flavours too! Thank you for sharing this 🙂
Thank you! What a fun party! 😉 These really are so delicious! Thanks so much for your comment!
Welcome to the party. I am glad Selma brought a friend. 😀 These look so good. Thank you for bringing these at FF table. Enjoy the party and don’t be shy to mingle. 😉
Thank you so much! I am happy to be here!
Ani, I love this crostini! All fresh and delicious. I truly appreciate your instructions on slow roasted tomatoes. We love them on salads too. Glad you joined the best party on he web!
Thank you, Julie! sorry for my late reply; I replied on my phone and somehow it never posted! I have so enjoyed being a part of the fiesta. You all are so welcoming! 🙂
It is a great bunch Ani. Glad you are having a positive experience too!
Classic and elegant! Beautiful :).
Thank you so much! 🙂
I’m getting full at Fiesta. Friday but I have room for one of these beauties. Tracey
Haha! Yay! Thank you so much! What a great party!
Welcome to Fiesta Friday! I hope you enjoy the party, and thank you for bringing such tasty crostini 🙂
Thank you! I love it here! Such welcoming, fun new friends. 🙂
Welcome to Fiesta Friday! It’s always wonderful to see new faces at the party… and here you are, showing up for the first time, with a beautiful crostini that looks absolutely delicious! There’s nothing like a simple roasting to heighten tomatoes, but paired with the goat cheese you “had me” at the first look. 🙂
What a heart warming comment! Thank you so much, Nancy! You brought a smile to my face! I am so happy to be here and I feel so welcomed!
YUM!!!!
Thanks, Michelle! I hope my wine descriptions aren’t too far off base! 😉
Your slow-roasted tomatoes look delicious! I would like to try to do that. Thank you for the inspiration!
Oh, thank you! I hope you will try them and let me know what you think!
Oh Ani, I am so glad to see that you made it! You are most welcome especially with a large platter of these beauties! When it comes to wine, one of my favourites is the crisp, citrusy Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, from New Zealand – they are producing some fabulous wines there – are they stocked in the States? I love your slow roast tomatoes – great with the cheese, baguette toasts and basil! Happy Fiesta Friday!!
Hi, Selma! Thank you so much for inviting me to the party! Such fun! I’ve not tried that wine, but I just googled and see that Wegmans has it! I will pick up a bottle and let you know what I think. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio are my favorite whites, so I am sure I will like it!
Ani, I was racking my brain trying to remember some other really good NZ wine labels – they are the Montana and Cloudy Bay vineyards from the Marlborough region who both do delicious Sav Blancs too…worth looking out for x
Thanks for sharing this gorgeous appy with us😋👍
of course! Thank you!
Welcome to the party Ani, glad you could join us! And very glad you could come along with these yummy appetisers, I love slow roasted tomatoes and combined with goat cheese I bet they’re even better!
Thank you, Michelle! I’m so happy to be here. It’s a great flavor combo! I hope you’ll give it a try! 🙂
Hi Ani! Nice to meet you and welcome to Fiesta Friday! Any friend of Selma’s is an instant friend of FF’s 😃. I LOVE roasted tomatoes! I always start my day by roasting some tomatoes whenever I can’t make up my mind what to cook! And you know how I started my day today? Roasted tomatoes 😃. I’m feeling quite lucky I did. Now all I need is just a good crusty bread!
Thanks! And thank you so much for hosting! What a fantastic group. I’m so happy I’ve been welcomed in!
I love the combination of goats cheese and tomatoes and roasting them like this makes them sound irresistible, delicious 🙂 Welcome to and Happy FF! 🙂
Thank you so much! ❤️
First off, welcome to Fiesta Friday!! I’m sure you’ll love it. Second, everything about this sounds divine and I must give it a try. Thanks for sharing 😉
Love the slow-roasted tomatoes! Thanks for the tip on storing them too. They look fabulous in this.
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