Candied Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Crostini
It’s Labor Day weekend but for me it’s been a weekend of experiments. Trying a new way to grocery shop to try to get the most for the least money. Trying new recipes, using combinations of flavors that I’ve never tried before. I must say that so far it’s been a success!
For my first experiment I tried a recipe I thought of several weeks ago and just never had the time or the ingredients to make it. It’s called candied tomatoes with tarragon orange sauce. It’s served with goat cheese on crostini. I actually took two recipes and combined them to make an absolutely scrumptious dish that would be perfect as a starter or as a light lunch. The tomatoes are roasted in the oven with garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil, oregano and a little brown sugar.
While they were roasting I made a sauce of tarragon and orange juice. Once that cooked down to about half then I added the roasted tomatoes. In a bowl I put goat cheese in the middle and the tomatoes around it. I toasted some bread and put the tomatoes and goat cheese on it. The flavor of the goat cheese blended well with the sweetness of the tomatoes, then there was the tang of the white wine and citrus juice.
To make candied tomatoes with tarragon orange sauce this is what you’ll need:
Step One: The Tomatoes
1 12 ounce package of cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
pinch of dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine tomatoes (cut in half), the olive oil, salt and pepper and the brown sugar. Toss to combine. Place on a cookie sheet and into the oven. Roast for 40 minutes.
Step Two: The Tarragon Orange Sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 small onion, fine dice
1 cup white wine
tarragon
1 cup orange juice
juice of 1/2 lemon
In a saucepan sweat out the onions and garlic. Once the garlic and onions are translucent add the tarragon (if you’re using dried use less than if you are using fresh about 1 to 2 teaspoons) then deglaze the pan with white wine. Cook and reduce until the sauce is about half it’s original volume. Once the sauce has reduced, add the juices and let the sauce cook until thick.
Step 3: Combine
Once the tomatoes have cooled slightly and the sauce has thickened then it’s time to combine them. Stir the tomatoes into the sauce.
Now it’s time to serve. In a bowl place the goat cheese in the center and spoon the tomato mixture around the cheese. Serve on toasted crostini.
I used regular store bought goat cheese, and can’t wait to try this with some farm fresh goat cheese to see if the flavor is different.
This might seem like a complicated recipe but really the steps are simple. After you take the tomatoes out of the oven, leave the oven on and use it to toast the bread.
Try this at your next get together with a glass of the same wine you used to make the tarragon sauce.
Have a tomato recipe that you’d like to share?
How about an experiment that was a success?