Baked Goat Cheese Sundried Tomato Basil Appetizer Food

BAKED GOAT CHEESE DIP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, parmesan and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor and season with pepper; puree until smooth. Brush a 1-quart baking dish with olive oil, then spread the cheese mixture in the dish, mounding it slightly higher around the edge than in the middle. Bake until golden and heated through, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, chives, vinegar, garlic, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture on top of the dip. Serve with baguette slices.

BAKED GOAT CHEESE, SUNDRIED TOMATO & BASIL APPETIZER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the pointed tip of a garlic head off and place on a sheet of foil. Drizzle the cut garlic with olive oil, replace the tip and wrap the entire head in foil. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the cloves are soft and creamy. Set aside and let cool. Garlic can be roasted ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a week or two.
• Place the log of goat cheese in a small oval baking dish with no more than a couple inches of space around the log. Drizzle some of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes on top of the cheese and put in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is hot and lightly browned on the top. The cheese will spread as it bakes.
• While the cheese is baking, remove the sun dried tomatoes from the oil and chop into 1/4" pieces. Place in a small bowl. Chiffonade the basil and add it to the sundried tomatoes with a couple pinches of red pepper flakes. Mix the three ingredients together.
• When the cheese is hot and slightly browned, remove it from the oven and spoon the tomato/basil mixture around the edge of the baking pan, like a wreath. Squeeze the roasted garlic over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and drizzle a little more of the sun dried tomatoes on top of the cheese.
• Serve warm with baguette slices and if you are feeling festive add some chilled champagne.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO GOAT CHEESE SPREAD

Steps:

• Drain tomatoes, reserving 2 teaspoons oil. In a small food processor, combine the garlic, basil and parsley. Cover and process until blended., Add the goat cheese and reserved sun-dried tomatoes and oil. Cover and process until smooth. Chill until serving.

TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE TARTS

Steps:

• Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
• Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.
• Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

GOAT CHEESE BALSAMIC SUN DRIED TOMATO DIP

Steps:

• In small bowl, stir together sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper.
• In separate bowl, blend cream cheese with goat cheese. Scrape into shallow serving dish, smoothing top.
• Stir basil into sun-dried tomato mixture; spread over cheese.