Roasted Tomato and Brie

Roasted cherry tomatoes rest on a slice of soft brie, drizzled with balsamic glaze and served on a buttery cracker.

If you have a garden or just a patio pot for your cherry tomatoes, you know this summer heat has been helping to produce an abundance of those little red orbs. When the grandkids come over, they love to play in the garden and pick the cherry tomatoes right off the plants and eat them. I love how their sweetness bursts in your mouth when you bite into them. 

I always grow the Sweet 100 variety and it never fails me. It’s very prolific. They’re great in salads, tossed into hot pasta dishes, made into pies and tarts, in jams…I could go forever. And of course, they brighten up any appetizer or canapé.

If you’re like me, summer means getting together with friends and family often, so I like to come up with ideas for appies using what’s available in my garden. We are a bunch of wine drinkers…and being surrounded by hundreds of wineries in our area only adds to our proclivities…so you gotta have snacks and bites, other than chips and nuts to go with amazing wines.

This canapé idea came to me when I picked up a bottle of ready made balsamic glaze from Trader Joes, which is called simply Glaze. I really hope all of you have one near you, although it can be easily made by reducing regular balsamic vinegar. Anyway, I was studying the bottle when a lady next to me said it was her favorite, and that she puts it on everything. Hmmm…I really do love balsamic vinegar myself. Okay, I’m sold. Ring me up, Joe.

​So, I thought about my cherry tomatoes and picked up a wheel of brie while I was there. I had a box of buttery crackers in my cart, so I went home and played with my goodies. They turned out pretty scrummy. I used a light buttery cracker and wondered if I should have used a harder one, but the peanut gallery liked these. I say, use what you like.  

• Cherry tomatoes
• Olive oil 
• Crackers
• Brie cheese
• Balsamic Glaze -Trader Joe's Glaze
• Chives, finely chopped for garnish

Cut the tomatoes in half and toss with a little olive oil. Place cut side down on a pan lined with parchment paper or foil, so they don’t stick. Roast at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, depending on the size of your tomatoes. A longer roast time will result in wrinkly tomatoes, so that is matter of preference.

Slice the brie to fit on your crackers. Top with two tomato halves. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Dust with chopped chives.