This weekend my cousins are coming for an evening of wine, assorted appetizers and desserts. Jeff and I spent time this past week cooking up with some dips and sauces to serve with bread or crackers. I had bought two pints of yellow cherry tomatoes and figured I'd make a quick tomato sauce. The result was a yellow cherry tomato spread.
Looking at its color, we couldn't imagine it on pasta, so we started spreading it on baguette slices. The results were fantastic. The sweetness of tomatoes with the bite of red pepper flakes. We ate it both heated and cold, the flavors were wonderful at both temperatures. When you use all fresh ingredients the flavor is incredible!
The one thing I wish we had tried was placing a thin slice of fresh mozzarella on the top of the spread. Well, we still have time, we are serving it on Saturday night. I'll report the results.
Ingredients:
2 pint size containers of yellow cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half
1/3 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 chopped onion (about 1/2 cup)
16 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 french baguette, cut into 1 inch slices
Preparation:
1. Heat saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil.
2. Once oil is heated, add the onions and garlic.
3. Cook about 5-7 minutes until the onions are translucent and soft.
4. Add the tomatoes, basil and red pepper flakes.
5. Once the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce becomes watery, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
6. Place on baguette slices and serve with a small sprig of basil.
Option: If you would like, lightly toast the baguette slices.