Who doesn’t love appetizers?  Especially appetizers that are made from bread and cheese and tomatoes. Crostini with whipped feta and cherry tomatoes is a delicious combination of tastes and colors.   A trifecta of crunchy toast, salty feta and vibrant tomatoes.  Until I read this recipe, I’d never thought of whipping feta with cream cheese to make a creamy spread.  It came out perfectly – smooth, salty and delicious.  You could make this when guest are coming, as a starter before dinner or just as a snack in the late afternoon with some friends.  It looks great and is oh so easy to make (and eat)!

A couple of notes:

I hate taking out the big food processor – I used a mini food processor and it worked out fine.

Definitely taste the feta after it’s been whipped to make sure it’s smooth – I had to continue whipping it for a bit to get a thoroughly smooth consistency.

I used the toaster oven to toast the bread.  I find  when using a toaster oven it’s easier to keep an eye on the bread so it doesn’t burn.

Make a double batch of the whipped feta and you can have a spread for crackers or bagels left over for the next day.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten’s book “The Barefoot Contessa: Foolproof”.

Crostini with whipped feta and tomatoes

A trifecta of crunchy toast, creamy, salty feta and vibrant tomatoes.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 3 mins
• Total Time: 18 minutes
• Yield: 6 to 8 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• Tomato Topping:
• 1 carton of cherry tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove – minced
• 2 Tbs parsley – minced
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs red wine vinegar
• Whipped Feta:
• 4 ounces of feta – cubed or crumbled
• 1 ounce of cream cheese
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 4 twists of pepper.
• 1 loaf of French bread

Instructions

1. Slice cherry tomatoes (I quartered the cherry tomatoes because they were large) and add to a bowl.
2. Mince parsley and add to tomatoes.
3. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic and salt and pepper. Pour over tomatoes and let tomatoes sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
4. Combine feta, cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice and pepper in a food processor. I used a mini food processor. Whip until smooth.
5. Slice bread on the diagonal and toast.
6. Top each slice of toast with a generous helping of whipped feta and then spoon tomato mixture on top.