Recipe #7: Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomato Spread

This is one of my all-time favorite foods, and it really only requires buying three things -- goat cheese, a jar of sundried tomatoes, and a good loaf of crusty bread. I can't take credit for the idea completely; a restaurant in Connecticut that we sometimes go to for special occasions has a goat cheese with sundried tomatoes appetizer. I've never asked them how they work their magic to make it so delicious, but I bought the ingredients, gave it a shot, and while it's a little different... I love it. Please note -- wherever you see a (*) next to an ingredient or tool, there is a comment about it below the recipe. Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomato Spread

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
1 11 ounce package of goat cheese*
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes packed with herbs in olive oil*
1 1/2 tablespoons marinating oil from jar of tomatoes
1 loaf of crusty bread

Tools
food processor
spreader (for serving)

Cut goat cheese into four pieces and place in food processor with tomatoes and one tablespoon of marinating oil. Set on puree for approximately 10 seconds, or until goat cheese is creamy and whipped in texture. There should be no visible lumps. Add remaining oil and pulse til well combined (dip should be light orange-pink in color). Yields approximately 1 1/2 cups.



Serve with a few sundried tomatoes along with small slices of bread.




*Comments:
-Goat Cheese: Make sure whatever you buy does NOT have herbs in it. This completely changes the taste and in my opinion, makes the cheese taste... well, un-goat-cheese-like. This is what I always buy, and it's available at any supermarket:



-Sundried tomatoes: The complete opposite of my commentary on herb-packed cheese... I actually only use the sundried tomatoes that are in oil and packed with herbs for this recipe. The oil really brings out the flavor of the tomatoes and the herbs make it so you don't have to add anything spice-wise. The type I buy is pictured below, but any herb-marinated sundrieds will due. Word to the wise -- if you use these for this, you won't use the entire jar. They can then be stored in the fridge till you need them again. But, when you take them out again, the oil will have hardened. To remedy, microwave for 50 seconds. Word to this wise -- this comes at the advisement of my husband -- remember to take the metal lid off BEFORE microwaving!



Enjoy!