Caramelized Cherry Tomato Crostini
Caramelized Cherry Tomato Crostini is the perfect appetizer to make the most of late summer produce. Sungold cherry tomatoes are “caramelized” with olive oil and balsamic vinegar till sweet and jammy, then spooned onto crisp baguette slices and topped with fresh basil.
If you could capture summer in a bite, I’m pretty sure this would be it.
Each summer, I plant a small container vegetable garden in my backyard. This year, I built (okay ordered and assembled, but still felt pretty might doing it!) two new raised garden bed containers and doubled the size of my garden to include several cherry tomato varieties, peppers, miniature eggplant, zucchini, basil, chives, and honeynut squash (they’re new to me, still ripening, and I have NO idea what I’ll make with them – write me if you’ve cooked with them before!)
And yes, my little garden does make me feel like a modern Martha. 😊
A staple in my summer garden are these Sungold cherry tomatoes. You can find them in the store, but I highly recommend growing them yourself. A single plant produces a TON of those pretty tangerine colored gems, so it’s well worth the investment and watering commitment!
If you’ve never had them, they’re super sweet and great for snacking and topping salads. I use them a lot in my favorite zoodle dish, too.
This summer, I planted two Sungold plants and have been picking cherry tomatoes faster than I can eat them. So, in an attempt to use them up and squeeze every last drop out of summer, these Caramelized Cherry Tomato Crostini were born!
Tomatoes are simmered with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic till sweet and jammy, then scooped onto slices of toasted baguette and topped with fresh basil.
To be honest, these were so good, I ate *almost* the entire batch in one sitting. And by one sitting, I mean as soon as I finished taking these photos.
You can use any variety of cherry tomatoes you wish, but I hope you’ll try the Sungolds if you come across them.
Cheers to late summer harvests and flavors!
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 cups halved sungold cherry tomatoes
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
- 12 baguette slices (1/2 inch thick, cut on the diagonal)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread baguette slices on baking sheet and drizzle evenly with 1 tbsp olive oil. Bake 7-8 minutes, then turn baguette slices over and bake additional 7-8 minutes or until crisp and lightly golden. Keep an eye on your bread – everyone’s ovens run slightly different and you don’t want it to burn!
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and cook till they begin to burst and release juices, about 5-10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add salt, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes (if you’d like a little spice). Stir to combine and continue to cook another 5-10 minutes until tomatoes reduce and become jammy.
- Top baguette slices with tomato mixture. Top with basil and drizzle with additional balsamic just before serving, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
