Sun-Dried Tomato Jam Crostini

 

 

I can sit down with a glass of wine and some appetizers and be the happiest woman on the planet.  I view it as sort of an extended happy hour at home.  If you are going to make a light meal out of it, as I love to do, you need to have a few appetizers that are on the substantial side.  One of the more substantial appetizers I always make now is this sun-dried tomato jam crostini.  I absolutely love it.  It’s earthy, tangy and sweet all at the same time.  Perfection.

I adapted this recipe from Giada, making but a few small changes.  The first being I cut back on the vinegar, some people mentioned the original version was a bit too ‘vinegary’.  Also, since I cut back on the vinegar, I also cut back on the sugar.  The last change I made is the addition of the smear of goat cheese on the crostini, I think the extra bit of creamyness really adds to it.  And I love goat cheese!

Aside from this appetizer being absolutely delicious the other aspect I really love is that it can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to one week.  It’s a huge time saver if you are having a party but also it’s wonderful to keep leftovers so you can treat yourself to a snack during the week. 

Here’s what you will need….

 

1 (8-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped, oil reserved

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup water

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 baguette, cut into 3/4-inch slices

5 ounces goat cheese, room temperature

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

 

 

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil, olive oil, onion, and garlic. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and beginning to brown at the edges, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sugar, vinegar, water, chicken broth, thyme, salt, and pepper.

The mixture will look like this….

 

 

Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue simmering until most of the liquid is reduced and the mixture is the consistency of jam, about 30-40 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.  (In Giada’s recipe she instructs to allow the jam to reduce for only 10-15 minutes more, which was not enough time at all.  If you keep the heat the same it will take more like 30 minutes to reduce.  You can turn up the heat, however, you will then need to stand around watching the mixture, stirring often.)

Amazingly enough, that liquid mixture turns into this…

 

 

And that is the exact consistency you are looking for.  Jam-like.

As the jam is cooling, mix the chopped thyme into the room temperature goat cheese.  Toast up some crostini and once slightly cooled spread a thin layer of goat cheese on the crostini,  then top with some jam mixture.  Top that with a small dollop of goat cheese.  Enjoy!

Giada’s original recipe can be found here…

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/crostini-with-sun-dried-tomato-jam-recipe/index.html