Tuscan Appetizer Plate

Categories: New, Vegtime5
Yield: 1 servings

1 Head garlic
1 c White beans; Navy or
-Cannellini
1 Bay leaf
1 Sprig fresh thyme
1 Sprig fresh rosemary
2 c Vegetable stock
1 Lemon; juiced
1/4 c Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh rosemary; chopped
Fresh thyme; chopped
1 Log goat cheese; sliced in
-1/4"
; round
1/4 c Garlic; chopped
1/2 c Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 Baguette
Olive oil
1 Clove whole garlic; lightly
-crushed

For puree, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove most of the outer papery
skin of head of garlic. Rub garlic with oil; wrap in aluminum foil. Bake
until tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool. Cut 1/3 off the
top of garlic; squeeze out garlic pulp. Cover and set aside.

Place beans in heavy pot with bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and stock. Bring
to a boil.; reduce heat to medium and cook until beans are tender but not
mushy, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat; discard herbs, reserving cooking
liquid.

Place beans in food processor. Add garlic pulp and lemon juice. With
processor running, slowly drizzle in oil. Add salt and pepper. Add rosemary
and thyme if using. use some cooking liquid to thin puree, if needed.

Cheese: Spread cheese out in shallow bowl or deep plate. Sprinkle with
garlic. Pour oil over cheese and garlic; then sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Cover with plastic wrpa or lid and marinate in refrigerator for at
least 2 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Crostini: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice baguette diagonally about 1/4
inch thick. Brush each slice with oil and rub lightly with garlic. Place in
single layer on baking sheet; bake until golden brown, but not hard,
turning once.

To assemble, arrange puree, cheese and crostini with optional ingredients
such as peppers, eggplant, olives, tomato slices on large serving platter.
1 gram of fat per tablespoon of puree, 4 grams of fat per cheese slice and
2 grams of fat total per crostini.

NOTES : September 1996 Vegetarian Times Magazine.

Recipe by: Cafe Flora

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