10-Minute Blistered Tomato Crostini w/ Creamy Brie, Aged Manchego, & Sweet Fig Spread
Let me take a guess – You’ve got tomatoes coming out of your ears.
One of the glories of August is that tomatoes are everywhere, and I love every second. On any given day I’ll have tomatoes & eggs for breakfast, caprese salads for lunch, and even stuffed tomatoes for dinner. And since I’m eating tomatoes 24/6, some experimentation has occurred.
This crostini being the perfect example.
I first showed off this recipe on Instagram a few weeks back, and the response was so strong I decided to post them here. This is what happens with SO many recipes I end up posting, including my greek crostini, goat cheese dip, and avocado bites. They are all ideas I randomly threw together as happy-hour appetizers for me and Dave, but the results were so damn tasty I just kept making them over and over until I finally posted them here.
So, you know… you’re welcome.
I’ve been documenting my urban garden progression throughout the summer (um hii, THIS BASIL TREE), so you know my obsession is real. But while my herbs have been crazy impressive, it’s my sugar lump tomatoes I’m most proud of. Part of me totally expected to screw the tomatoes up, because obviously I’ve never grown a damn thing. But through gentle care, constant attention, and some beginners luck, my sugar lump trees blossomed perfectly. Being able to walk outside my doorstep and pop a fresh tomato right into my mouth is AMAZING. It’s honestly the best feeling ever.
Sugar Lump tomatoes are basically tinier cherry tomatoes, which makes them wildly adorable but also limited in their versatility – They’re too small to cut (in my opinion at least) so I need to incorporate them whole into various dishes and apps. What I quickly discovered is that their miniature size means they roast-up in a flash – Toss ’em in EVOO + salt & pepper, broil for 5 minutes, and you’re set. With this strategy I’ve added them onto steak and chicken, incorporated them into salads, and of course made them into this app, which is my favorite use yet.
The secret to this recipe’s ease is that everything happens at once – While the crostini base melts + browns, the tomatoes simultaneously blister. All in the oven, all at the same time, all set to broil, all ready in 5-6 minutes.
Pretty genius, huh?
The key to this synched-up success is placing the tomatoes on your top oven rack while baking the sliced baguette + fig spread + cheeses on your oven middle rack. This allows your tomatoes to get the direct heat they need to blister quickly while properly browning/melting your crostini base without worrying about burning. It’s an efficient and simple process, which is pretty much what every good appetizer should be.
What makes this crostini so appealing is that it strikes that wonderful sweet, savory, cheesy balance that pretty much anyone with a modicum of taste tends to love. Because the sugar lump tomatoes are inherently sweet the roasting process brings them back into the savory realm, while the luscious brie against the stronger, nuttier manchego creates a fromage tandem that’s wonderfully contrasting and complimenting on its own. But what I can’t stress enough is the fig spread – You must use this!! It really unifies the entire crostini into something magical, and if I said I haven’t eaten 50 of these in the last month, I’d be lying. Also, skinnier.
A great app is adaptable too, so don’t fret if you haven’t got my exact ingredients on hand. While I’m insistent on the fig spread, feel free to swap crackers for the baguette, experiment with various combos of soft & hard cheeses, and try garnishing with basil, rosemary, or thyme. And if you’re not growing your own sugar lumps? Sliced cherry or grape tomatoes will work just the same.
And that fresh oregano sprinkling you see? From my garden, obviously! x
10-Minute Blistered Tomato Crostini w/ Creamy Brie, Aged Manchego, & Sweet Fig Spread
Ingredients:
- 4 oz French Baguette, sliced into 10 pieces
- 1 – 2 tbsps Fig Spread (I used Dalmatia Original Spread)
- 2 oz Brie, sliced
- 2 oz Aged Manchego, sliced
- 10 Sugar Lump Tomatoes (or 6 – 8 cherry/grape tomatoes, halved)
- 1 1/2 tsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder (optional)
- pinch of Salt & Pepper
- 1 – 2 tbsps Fresh Oregano to garnish
Directions:
- Preheat oven to Broil.
- On large cutting board slice baguette and cheeses as needed. Next, layer each baguette slice with a thin film of fig spread, a slice of brie, and a slice of manchego, then transfer to shallow baking sheet. Separately, in small baking dish combine tomatoes, EVOO, garlic powder, and salt & pepper, tossing well to coat.
- Place tomatoes on top oven rack and baguette slices on oven middle rack. Simultaneously broil both ingredients for 5-6 minutes until tomatoes are blistered and baguette slices have browned/cheese has melted. Spoon blistered tomatoes atop browned/melted baguettes, garnish with fresh oregano, and serve!
yaaassss.
Yup tomatoes coming outta my ears dude, sooooo many! Usually I made my totally roasted marinara sauce, but I need a change.
This looks like a good option to me!