It pains me to admit that there is such a thing as too much cheese but alas there are limits to how much dairy one can reasonably consume in a single evening. And so I found myself on the hunt for an appropriate pre-dinner nibble to serve before tucking in to a pan of ricotta stuffed shells crowned with a bubbling layer of bronzed mozzarella.

Inspiration came in the form of this jammy tomato tapenade (Wikipedia tells me it must have capers to be a true tapenade but whatever) . The roasted tomatoes are sweet and savory, the olives are salty and briny, and a touch of heat from the red pepper flakes keeps things interesting. I like it smeared on garlic-rubbed toasts but you can use whatever vehicle you like to get it from bowl to mouth as quickly as possible.

The roasted tomatoes that make up the base of the tapenade are great to have around and are easily prepped ahead of time. I like them stirred into cottage cheese or scrambled eggs, on toast slathered with Miracle Whip (so wrong but so right) or sprinkled over a wedge salad. Roast off a batch on a Sunday afternoon and have them at the ready whenever you want them.

Roasted Tomato Tapenade

(Yields approximately 2 cups)

24oz cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (any mix of colors and shapes will do)

olive oil, for drizzling

salt

3/4 cup pitted olives, finely chopped (I used a Sicilian mix)

1tbsp apple cider vinegar

pinch of red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place tomatoes on a baking sheet cut side up. It’s ok if they are snug but you’ll want to keep them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Roast tomatoes for approximately 90 minutes. They are done when they look semi-dried and are slightly browned on the bottom.

Working in batches, transfer the roasted tomatoes to a cutting board and finely chop. Scoop the chopped tomatoes into a bowl along with their juices and repeat with remaining tomatoes. Tip any olive oil remaining on the baking sheet into the bowl as well.

Add chopped olives, vinegar, and red pepper flakes to the tomatoes and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, vinegar, olive oil, or pepper flakes as needed.

Scoop onto toast or crackers and enjoy!