Marinated Peppered Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomatoes

A light and lovely summer appetizer which you can start the day before you serve, or begin in the morning and enjoy in the afternoon. This is a place to splurge and use really good, fruity olive oil and really good balsamic.

• Ready In: 4 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8  roma tomatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
• 3⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 -6  ounces  goat cheese
•  cracked black pepper
• 2  teaspoons oregano, fresh, chopped
• 1⁄4 lb  olive (about 20 Kalamata or Nicoise)
• 4  sprigs oregano

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Peel the tomatoes, halve them the long way and remove the seeds.
3. In a baking pan, place the tomatoes cut side down on a rack. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes have shriveled to about half their original size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let the tomatoes cool.
4. In a medium-size nonreactive bowl, combine the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Set aside but do not refrigerate.
6. Divide the cheese into four portions and sprinkle with the cracked pepper.
7. In a large shallow bowl or gratin dish, pour 1/2 cup olive oil over the cheese. Add more oil if this does not cover the cheese.
8. Sprinkle with the chopped oregano and let sit for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours, at room temperature. (If you wish to make it a day in advance, then refrigerate the cheese in the oil. Remove from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.).
9. To assemble, carefully remove the cheese from the olive oil and place each piece on an individual plate.
10. Drizzle with some of the olive oil in which the cheese was marinating. Place 4 pieces of tomato and 5-6 olives on each plate.
11. Top with a sprig of oregano.
12. You may assemble the plates up to 1 hour before serving and cover them tightly with plastic wrap.