Whipped Feta with Roasted Garlic and Herb Confit Tomatoes and Crostini
Blistered, herby confit tomatoes roasted with garlic and olive oil served with tangy whipped feta and crispy crostini are the perfect summer appetizer.
Equipment
- 1 small ceramic or glass baking dish
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic and Herb Confit Tomatoes
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (1 pint)
- 1 head garlic, peeled (about 8-10 cloves)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, or ½ tsp dried
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, or ½ tsp dried
- ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste (see Note 1)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, or more to taste
- ½ cup olive oil, or as needed to cover the tomatoes (see Note 2)
Whipped Feta Dip
- 1 cup feta, crumbled (about 6 oz)
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, or more to taste
- ¼ cup half and half cream (see Note 3)
Crostini
- 1 baguette, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil (see Note 2)
For Serving
- Fresh parsley, chopped, optional
Instructions
Roasted Garlic and Herb Confit Tomatoes
- Preheat oven to 375℉/190℃
- In a small baking dish, combine the tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Add the olive oil and ensure the contents of the baking dish are fully covered in oil, adding more if needed (don't worry, we're going to save the oil because it's full of flavor)
- Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until the tomatoes have burst and the garlic is soft
- Discard the herb sprigs then remove the tomatoes and garlic from the oil (see Note 4)
Whipped Feta Dip
- In a food processor, combine the feta, lemon zest, salt and pepper
- Pulse a few times until the feta is finely crumbled
- Add the cream and blend until smooth, thick and fluffy (see Note 3)
Crostini
- Increase the oven temperature to 400℉/200℃ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Arrange the sliced baguette on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crispy
For Serving
- To serve, spread the whipped feta over a plate then top with the confit tomatoes and garlic, and optionally a little fresh parsley
- Arrange the crostini around the feta and tomatoes
- Spread the whipped feta onto the crostini and top with the tomatoes – I like to mash the garlic cloves onto the crostini first but you can also just scoop everything together!
Notes
Note 1: The Whipped Feta Dip is quite salty, so I don’t like to use too much salt on the tomatoes. Start with less, and you can always add more later once you’ve tasted the two combined.
Note 2: Because of its lower smoke point, I don’t like to use extra virgin olive oil for roasting the tomatoes and toasting the crostini. I prefer regular olive oil for this recipe. You can definitely use extra virgin olive oil, but make sure the brand of extra virgin olive oil you use has a smoke point of over 375℉/190℃.
Note 3: I love to use half and half cream in this recipe, but whole milk or Greek yogurt both work great as well! If you’re using Greek yogurt, the whipped feta will be a little tangier, so adjust the amount of salt to taste.
Note 4: Don’t throw away the oil you used to roast the garlic, herbs and tomatoes. It’s so full of flavor and can be used in other recipes where you would normally use olive oil. Let it cool in the baking dish then transfer it to a glass container and store it in the fridge, then use it within 7 days.
Nutrition Facts are calculated automatically and may be inaccurate. Nutrition Facts for this recipe include an entire half of a baguette.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 servingCalories: 1257kcalCarbohydrates: 76gProtein: 27gFat: 96gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 57gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 2307mgPotassium: 657mgFiber: 4gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1247IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 605mgIron: 7mg
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