Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomato Jam

This is another one of my "go to recipes" that I adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' recipe. It is always a big winner with our guests!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Crostini, Sun-dried tomatoes

Ingredients

1 8-oz jar sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil drained and chopped, oil reserved
½ onion thinly sliced
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp granulated sugar
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup organic chicken stock for vegetarian version, substitute veg broth
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp finely ground black pepper

Crostini

1 baguette sliced into ¾-inch diagonal slices
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Goat Cheese Topping

5 ounces Chevre room temperature (see note below)
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped

Instructions

Sun-Dried Tomato Jam

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped sundried 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 stock, thyme, salt and pepper. 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 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Crostini

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Place the baguette slices on the baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the baguette slices with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes.

Goat Cheese Topping

Place the soft goat cheese in a small bowl and stir in the thyme.

To Assemble

Spread the crostini with Sun-Dried Tomato Jam and top with the goat cheese and herb mixture. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

Notes

Chèvre (pronounced "SHEV-ruh" or sometimes simply "SHEV") is the French word for a female goat, but in the culinary arts, it refers to cheese made from goat's milk. While goat cheese is produced and eaten around the world, some varieties of chèvre carry a protected designation of origin (PDO) label, verifying French origin under strict production standards. Since goat's milk contains less lactic acid than cow's milk, people who are lactose intolerant often find they can enjoy chèvre without symptoms. --The Spruce Eats