1 c Cream cheese — at room
Temperature
1 c Unsalted butter — at room
Temperature
1 c Parmesan cheese — freshly
Grated
1/2 c Sun-dried tomatoes,
Oil-packed — drained
(reserve oil
2 tb Oil — from dried tomatoes
2 c Fresh basil leaves —
Lightly packed
With an electric mixer or food processor, beat cream cheese, butter
and parmesan cheese until very smoothly blended. Cut 4 tomatoes into
thin strips; set aside. Whirl remaining tomatoes, oil and about 1/2
cup of the cheese mixture until tomatoes arevery smoothly pureed;
scrape puree back into bowl with cheese mixture and beat to blend.
Cover bowl and chill for about 20 minutes, or until firm enough to
shape. Mound cheese on a platter. If made ahead, cover with and
inverted bowl (don’t let it touch the cheese) and chill up to 3 days;
serve at room temperature. Arrange reserved tomato strips and basil
leaves around torta. Sunset suggests spreading cheese on toast (they
recommend toasted pita bread triangles) and topping with a basil leaf
and a tomato strip. Makes 8 to 10 appetizer servings.
Yields
8 Servings