Roasted Tomato, Ricotta and Goat Cheese Crostini Recipe

• 6 Roma tomatoes a" sliced in 6 or 8 slices
• 4-8 oz goat cheese (depends on how much you like)
• A 3/4 cup (good imported reggiano or gran padano) grated parmesan cheese (anything but the green can)
• 4-6 oz fresh ricotta cheese
• 5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• A 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley
• 20 big fresh basil leaves
• 2-3 whole garlic cloves
• 3-4 sprigs fresh Thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 teaspoons pine nuts
• 20 pitted oil cured black olives ( I like the herb de provence type found at the olive counter at Whole Foods, Molly Stones, Draegers or Piazzaas)
• 1 loaf rustic unsliced bread (roasted garlic, sourdough, herb all work great)

1. Tomatoes
2. Preheat oven to 400a.
3. Slice tomatoes and place in a large bowl.
4. Drizzle about 2-3 tablespoons olive oil over tomatoes and toss gently so that all sides of the tomatoes are coated with olive oil.
5. Place tomatoes ( be careful not to stack them, they need some elbow room) on baking sheet.
6. Try to leave the excess juice in the bowl.Bake on middle rack for 45minutes - 1 hour.
7. Remove when the tomatoes have darkened in color and before they appear dry.
8. They will shrivel a bit and that is just the way you want them to look, as though they have been dried in the sun.
9. Set aside until you are ready to use.
10. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
11. Pesto - Use the metal blade on your processor
12. Leaving parsley in tie-band, cut the whole bunch just below the bouquet of leaves, removing the steams with one slice.
13. Wash and pat dry on paper towels.
14. Pick through and remove the remaining big stems.
15. Donat worry if some are left behind.
16. Remove just the leaves from basil.
17. Wash and pat dry on paper towels.
18. Remove thyme leaves by holding the top of the stem with one hand and running your fingers down the stem with the other hand.
19. This will leave you with just the leaves, toss the stem away or save it to use as seasoning in soup.
20. Peel the garlic, leave whole
21. In a food processor or blender, chop garlic until size of peppercorns.
22. Add all at one time parsley, basil, thyme, pinenuts, cheese and salt.
23. Chop until smooth, about 30 a" 40 seconds
24. With processor running, add olive oil in a steady stream until mixed well.
25. If you pesto begins to abubblea or form a froth, you have mixed too much and need to stop!
26. Hand chop olives into small pieces and add to pesto.
27. Give a few pulses on the processor until olives are incorporated but not smushed.
28. Correct seasonings to your palate.
29. Store covered in refrigerator until ready to use.
30. Let the pesto set out for at least 10 or 15 minutes so the oil will soften again.
31. Crostini - preheat oven to 375 degrees
32. Slice your bread lengthwise about the same thickness as your favorite presliced bread or your desired thickness.
33. Cut each long slice into 2a strips, or the size that is easy to pick up and pop into your mouth without it fall down the front of your clothing.
34. Brush both sides of bread with olive oil using a pastry brush ( no brush a" use your hands!)
35. Smear some goat cheese then the ricotta and parmesan.
36. Top with the tomatoes and dollops of the pesto
37. Optional: Drizzle a bit more olive oil and finish with cracked pepper and sea salt
38. Bake on cookie sheet until cheese melts, about 10 minutes
39. To Serve; Line a round dish with a mound of arugula.
40. Place the crostini on the arugula and the pesto in a small dish with a small spoon in the middle.
41. The colors are truly holiday!

tomatoes, goat cheese, gran padano, ricotta cheese, extra virgin olive oil, salt, fresh italian parsley, basil, garlic, thyme, nuts, oil cured black olives, bread

Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/roasted-tomato-ricotta-and-goat-cheese-crostini-31937 (may not work)