Baked Tomatoes Peppers And Goat Cheese With Crisped Toasts Recipes

BAKED TOMATOES WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Homemade Seasoned Bread Crumbs (can be made ahead):
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Add 4 cups cubed Italian bread to a food processor. Add garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano and dried thyme. Process mixture until you have a crumbly mixture, with some fine pieces but a few larger, pea-sized pieces. Scatter crumbs evenly onto a baking sheet.
• Bake crumbs in a 350F oven for 8-9 minutes, stirring several times while baking. Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground peppers. Stir seasoning in, then allow to cool completely on baking sheet. Use immediately or store in an airtight container.
• For the Baked Tomatoes: Cut the tomatoes in half just above the equator (cutting about the top 1/3 off). Discard top or trim and use for a salad. With the bottoms, cut through the spine and dig out the seeds and membrane with a spoon or your hands. Discard seedy bits. Sprinkle the insides of the tomato shells with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place upside down on a doubled-up piece of paper towel and let stand 5-10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Prepare the crumb topping by combining the bread crumbs, garlic cloves, chopped parsley and chopped basil. Pour the melted butter overtop and mix until the crumbs are moistened. Set aside.
• Place drained tomatoes right-side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon one heaping tablespoon of goat cheese into the centre of each tomato. Grind a bit of pepper on top of the goat cheese. Divide the bread crumb mixture evenly on top of the 4 tomatoes.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden. Allow to stand a few minutes, before eating warm.

GOAT CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread slices on 2 heavy large baking sheets. Brush olive oil over the bread slices. Bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.
• Blend the goat cheese and cream cheese in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the parsley, thyme, and lemon peel. Using the on/off button, pulse just to blend. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread the cheese mixture over the crostini. Sprinkle with the olives, chives, and more pepper. Arrange the toasts on a platter and serve.
• Do-Ahead Tip: The crostini and cheese mixture can each be prepared 2 days ahead. Store the crostini in an airtight container at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the cheese mixture. Let the cheese mixture stand at room temperature for 1 hour to soften slightly before spreading over the crostini.

BAKED TOMATOES, PEPPERS, AND GOAT CHEESE WITH CRISPED TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Cook shallot and garlic in 3 Tbsp. oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, red peppers, and 1 tsp. each kosher salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until tomatoes are softened and juicy, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a 1 1/2-2 qt shallow baking dish and arrange cheese over top and drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Broil until cheese is softened and lightly charred, 3-5 minutes.