Whipped Goat Cheese with Blistered BC Cherry Tomatoes

There's a short window every summer when cherry tomatoes are so good they barely need anything done to them. This recipe respects that. Sweet tomatoes get blistered in a hot pan until they're just collapsing, then spooned — juices and all — over a cloud of whipped fresh goat cheese. Serve it with a warm baguette, and it works as an appetizer, a light dinner on the deck, or the thing everyone hovers around at a potluck. Ten minutes of actual cooking. Nobody needs to know that.

• 200 g fresh goat cheese (chèvre), at room temperature
• 45 mL (3 Tbsp) plain Greek yogurt or cream
• 15 mL (1 Tbsp) olive oil, plus 30 mL (2 Tbsp) for the tomatoes
• 500 g BC cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 5 mL (1 tsp) liquid honey
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Fresh basil or thyme, to finish
• 1 baguette, warmed and sliced, to serve

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Let the goat cheese sit out for 20 minutes or so before you start — cold chèvre doesn't whip.

Add the goat cheese, yogurt, and 15 mL of olive oil to a food processor and blend until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. No food processor? A bowl, a fork, and a bit of determination will get you most of the way there. Season with a pinch of salt and spread it over a shallow serving bowl or plate, making a few swoops with the back of a spoon.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes whole and let them sit, undisturbed, for 2 to 3 minutes until they start to blister and split. Shake the pan, add the garlic, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the garlic is golden and about half the tomatoes have collapsed.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the honey and a good grind of black pepper.

Spoon the warm tomatoes and all their juices over the whipped goat cheese. Scatter with fresh basil and serve right away with warm baguette for scooping.

Making it a meal? Toss the whole thing with hot pasta instead — the goat cheese melts into an instant sauce.

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Pro Tips

Look for local BC cherry tomatoes in season — the flavour difference is not subtle.

Room-temperature goat cheese is the whole trick here. Don't rush it.

The whipped goat cheese can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Blister the tomatoes just before serving.

A drizzle of balsamic glaze over the top never hurt anyone.

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