Serves 8 as an appetizer
Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro Roasted Tomato Crostini
Caterina, the owner of a small Italian restaurant in Filderstadt, Germany, small town south of Stuttgart, first introduced me to Crostini, “little toasts”. She originally hailed from Lucca, Italy where her mother owned a restaurant in the Piazza dell’ Anfiteratro. My stop at her restaurant became more than a simple lunch when she convinced me to create a meal of Crostini. Each was topped with a variety of spreads but the roasted tomatoes provided such an intense flavor, I was determined to replicate it back home. With guidance from Caterina, the recipe below achieved a greater intensity!
Only three Flavor Tiers are involved in this appetizer making preparation easy but plan ahead since it takes several hours for the tomatoes to cook. Slow roasting the tomatoes creates a wonderfully sweet robust intensity. If possible, roast the day before using and reheat before serving, one of Caterina’s tricks to meld the flavors. Add the fresh basil after you remove from the oven, as basil will blacken if added prior to roasting. While Caterina would serve thickly sliced bread, I like the use of square Ciabatta rolls. They provide the perfect two bite base for the tomatoes. Simply rub a clove of garlic on each half after toasting and then quarter. An option is to include pesto such as Amalfi Coast Pesto and fresh burrata along with the tomatoes to create a hearty appetizer or lunch. Of course, serve with a great Chianti such as Fontodi Chianti Classico Reserva 2009.
2 square Ciabatta rolls
1 garlic clove, halved
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 pint small mixed heirloom tomatoes or mixed color tomatoes, cut in half
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T garlic infused olive oil
½ t kosher salt
¼ t fresh ground black pepper
¼ c fresh basil, coarsely chopped
Heat oven to 300°. Line a large sided baking sheet with foil.
Flavor Tier 1
Flavor Tier 2
Flavor Tier 3
To Serve
flavor tiers
