Marinated Peppered Goat Cheese And Roasted Tomatoes

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 8 roma tomatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 -6 ounces goat cheese
• cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons oregano, fresh, chopped
• 1/4 lb olive (about 20 kalamata or nicoise)
• 4 sprigs oregano

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 300 degrees f.
• 2 peel the tomatoes, halve them the long way and remove the seeds.
• 3 in a baking pan, place the tomatoes cut side down on a rack. roast in the oven until the tomatoes have shriveled to about half their original size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. remove the pan from the oven and let the tomatoes cool.
• 4 in a medium-size nonreactive bowl, combine the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
• 5 set aside but do not refrigerate.
• 6 divide the cheese into four portions and sprinkle with the cracked pepper.
• 7 in a large shallow bowl or gratin dish, pour 1/2 cup olive oil over the cheese. add more oil if this does not cover the cheese.
• 8 sprinkle with the chopped oregano and let sit for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours, at room temperature. (if you wish to make it a day in advance, then refrigerate the cheese in the oil. remove from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.).
• 9 to assemble, carefully remove the cheese from the olive oil and place each piece on an individual plate.
• 10 drizzle with some of the olive oil in which the cheese was marinating. place 4 pieces of tomato and 5-6 olives on each plate.
• 11 top with a sprig of oregano.
• 12 you may assemble the plates up to 1 hour before serving and cover them tightly with plastic wrap.