Heirloom
Tomato Salad With Goat Cheese Toasts and Olive Tapenade
Yield:
4
to 6 servings
1
pound assorted Heirloom tomatoes
1 fresh baguette
2 or 3 goat cheese crottins
1/2 cup Olive Tapenade (see recipe)
1/2
cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2
cup basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Wine
Suggestion 1997 Gamay 'Il Vescovo', Manzano, Tuscany
Remove the cores from the tomatoes
and cut them in various shapes and sizes -wedges, round slices,
half-moons, etc. Arrange the tomatoes on the plates. Cut several
slices from the baguette about 1/2-inch thick. Cut the goat
cheese crottins in half and place one half on each baguette
slice. Place them on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven until
the top is golden brown.
Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Mix the Olive Tapenade
and olive oil together and drizzle liberally over the tomatoes.
Finely chiffonade the basil and sprinkle over the tomatoes.
Place the warm goat cheese toast on top and serve immediately.
Olive Tapenade
Yield: About 3 cups
3
cups pitted French Lyon olives
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon garlic, freshly chopped
1 Tablespoon thyme, freshly chopped
2 Tablespoons flat leaf parsley, freshly choppe
6 fillets salt-packed anchovies, chopped
1/4 cup capers in brine
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Place all ingredients together in a food processor and run on
high speed
about 2 minutes or until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed
and no large
pieces remain.
