Tomatoes & Goat Cheese & Balsamic-Coffee Reduction
Sep 11, 2007 by bartolimu | 0 Comments
Intro
Heirloom Tomatoes with Goat Cheese and Balsamic/Coffee Reduction
A delightfully fresh summer appetizer, this dish was inspired by the goods available at my local market. When presented with such wonderful subjects, I find it difficult to resist making something with them - even if I don’t eat raw tomatoes myself.
The balsamic-coffee reduction is only very slightly bitter, despite being so concentrated. The lemon zest comes through most strongly, along with a pleasant tartness from the balsamic vinegar. Coffee lends a mysterious earthiness and complexity to the finished sauce.
Ingredients
For the reduction:- 1 cup freshly-brewed coffee
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- zest of one lemon
(Additional ingredients listed below in recipe).
Step 1
Step 2
For the Tomatoes: - A selection of heirloom tomatoes, preferably of varying colors and types - 1 small log of goat cheese - 1 Tablespoon freshly-ground coffee - 1 Tablespoon freshly-ground pepper - A selection of heirloom cherry/pear/plum tomatoes, preferably of varying colors - Optional: fresh dill and cilantro
Step 3
Start by setting up the reduction. Pour the coffee, vinegar, salt, and honey into a small saucepan. Zest the lemon directly into the saucepan using a microplane or other favored method. Stir to combine and dissolve the honey, then simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Step 4
Step 5
You want nice, flat two-bite-sized pieces. Make them slightly larger in diameter than your log of goat cheese, and at least a half inch thick. Preferably thicker. Remove seeds where necessary, though these particular heirlooms weren't terribly seedy.
Step 6
Combine the pepper and ground coffee on a small plate. Unwrap the goat cheese and roll it partially in the pepper/coffee mix, giving it a striped appearance.
Step 7
Step 8
Prepare some of the smaller cherry, plum, and/or pear tomatoes by washing and cutting them.
Step 9
By now, the reduction should be very thick, clinging to the bottom of the saucepan and foaming as it simmers.
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Top with one half of a cherry/plum/pear tomato, then drizzle the reduction liberally over all. Optionally, top each piece of tomato with a sprig of fresh herb. I chose not to due to the preference of my diners.
Now that you have learned how to make tomatoes & goat cheese & balsamic-coffee reduction, please be sure to view these other cheese recipes.
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