[Recipe] Baked Goat Cheese with Tomato Sauce (and Other Small Bites) | A Pretty Simple Gathering, or the Easiest Dinner Party I Ever Had

“When food is shared, magic happens…. To care about food is to care about people. At the table, we can learn to appreciate our differences and expand our minds and palates…. In fact, scientific studies confirm that eating the same food around the table increases people’s sense of trust and cooperation—further proof that sharing food with one another unites us.”

― Sonja and Alex Overhiser, Pretty Simple Cooking

I’ve been meaning to tell you about a little dinner party I had way back in February, in the middle of a long New Hampshire winter. It capped the end of a stressful, busy week of school-play rehearsals and sick kids and work projects and basketball games. And although half of the dinner guests were under the age of 12, it was the easiest dinner party I ever threw, and one of my favorites to date.

I love a good dinner party, or really any excuse to cook some good food and share it with others —especially “special occasion” food that I might not make on an ordinary Tuesday night. I love nearly every element of throwing a dinner party: planning the menu, auditioning new recipes, making music playlists, setting the table with my prettiest plates and platters, lighting the candles. And then, of course, I love the dinner itself: sitting around the table, eating good food, enjoying conversations long after the last bite of dessert has been consumed and the candles have burned out. So when I connected with Sonja Overhiser, half of the husband-and-wife team behind the popular blog A Couple Cooks, last year over social media, and she asked me if I’d like to participate in their virtual Pretty Simple Dinner Party to celebrate the release of their first cookbook, of course I said “YES!” I immediately started concocting grand plans in my head of the party I would throw: Perhaps I’d invite our friends and neighbors over for a multi-course sit-down feast, or maybe I’d invite just the ladies over for a long overdue girls’ night, where we could catch up over drinks and appetizers.

And then… well, life happened and served me a reality check. You see, planning a dinner party around life with two active, school-aged boys isn’t exactly simple… or pretty! Nevertheless, I was determined to make it work. But as the date for the Pretty Simple Dinner Party grew closer, and my husband and I and our boys were pulled in many different directions by our various obligations (school, work, extracurricular activities, doctors’ appointments, etc.), I realized that the people with whom I needed to—and wanted to—connect the most were right here in my home. And so our Pretty Simple Dinner Party became a quickly pulled-together “party” for just the four of us, which we managed to fit in one late Saturday afternoon in February in between basketball playoffs that morning and a play later that evening.

Before I became a mom, I used to throw elaborate dinner parties where I’d spend weeks planning every detail and days cooking and baking multiple courses. But these days, by necessity but also by choice, those parties are a distant memory, having been replaced by kids’ birthday parties and family holiday gatherings, where most of the guests are under the age of 12, or the occasional family-friendly weekend brunch or casual girls’ night in. And I’m slowly learning (thanks to my kids, who unwittingly have taught me some of life’s most important lessons) that sometimes—okay, most times—the simplest dishes in which the best, highest-quality ingredients shine are enough, ideal even, especially when entertaining. I don’t need to spend days in the kitchen (or worse, time in the kitchen away from the table once everyone else has gathered at said table) to feed my guests, or my family, and honestly, I no longer have the luxury of spending all that time in the kitchen. If I can prepare a dish ahead of time without sacrificing quality, or, better yet, make something ahead that actually improves with time, then, for me, it is a perfect dish for entertaining. Or if it’s a dish that comes together quickly and easily that lets the finest ingredients take center stage—like a simple, flavorful tomato sauce (made from best-quality canned tomatoes) or a fresh, vibrant salad (assembled from peak-season, just-picked vegetables from the farmers market or, when the stars align, from my own garden) or a warm, crusty baguette (freshly baked from the local bakery)—then it will likely find its way onto my table and into the hands and mouths of my guests.

And if you’ve been to my house any time in the past year or so, then there’s a 99% chance that I’ve shared some sort of cheese board/snack tray/charcuterie platter/assortment of small bites with you (like this one). Bountiful platters of snack-type foods and a variety of colorful small plates will make just about any gathering more special for all who are gathered, even if it’s just a “party” of two (hungry) kids and their (tired) parents. There’s something about gathering a crowd—big or small—around a table of small bites and assorted dips (with plenty of “dippers”) that not only makes everything feel more festive but also invites a sense of camaraderie, a sense of connection. Moreover, you can customize your spread so that there’s something for everyone—kids, adults, vegetarians, meat-eaters, etc.—and you can make as much or as little from scratch (and ahead of time!) as you’d like, and just curate and (artfully) arrange the rest. This has become one of my favorite ways to entertain: It’s incredibly easy to put together but looks impressively festive and more elaborate than it really is—the best kind of recipe for entertaining, in my opinion.

Thankfully, Sonja and Alex’s Pretty Simple Cooking cookbook is chock-full of exactly the sort of simple, approachable (and healthful!) recipes—many of which could be made ahead—that I like to make for my family… and for my guests. On that cold, busy Saturday in February, I quickly and easily (read: in less than an hour) prepared several delicious Mediterranean-inspired dishes from their cookbook earlier in the day, with some help from my boys. Then when it was almost time to eat, all I needed to do was let a couple of dishes come to room temperature and warm up a few things in the oven, then set everything out on the table. It couldn’t have been easier, and the colorful, vegetable-centric dishes were a feast for the eyes as well. Together we made a Layered Mediterranean Hummus Platter (on a base of our favorite Wholesome Family Hummus), with Baked Pita Chips for dipping; Red Pepper Tabbouleh (a vibrant whole-grain salad that we scooped up with pita chips that evening, but I also ate the leftover salad for lunch the next day with a spoon); and Baked Goat Cheese with Tomato Sauce (but with feta cheese for the boys, because I’m the only one in my house who likes goat cheese). This last dish was by far the biggest hit, as both my 12-year-old and my 8-year-old declared that I should make it every day (and I have in fact made it several times since, by popular demand). I think there’s something about dipping a warm, fresh baguette into the combination of bubbly tomato sauce and melty cheese that reminded my boys of pizza—an instant winner, of course, and much quicker and easier than making pizza!

Ultimately, our Pretty Simple Dinner Party comprised a simple yet flavorful spread that barely required utensils, and my boys started digging in before the dishes had even reached the table. Still, I can’t resist those special touches: a few candles, a pretty garnish, an over-the-top dessert. It’s my way of saying I’m glad you came to my table, you mean something to me. So that winter afternoon as the sun was setting, I set the table with the “good” dishes, lit a few candles, and cued up some jazz to play through the kitchen speaker. The boys quickly devoured every last crumb, but it still felt special, a relatively calm moment in between “storms.” Although we eat dinner together almost every night, it’s often a rushed affair, hurriedly consuming food in between homework or sports practices or a myriad of other activities—an all-too-familiar scene that I’m sure plays out nightly in most households with school-aged children. I don’t know if it was the communal buffet of sorts of small plates and dips that forced sharing among the four of us, or the ambient candles and music, or just that my boys were extra chatty that day, but there was something about that little dinner party that reconnected us all, albeit briefly, amidst the chaos and busyness of the previous week (and the previous months!). We ate and drank and talked and laughed and talked some more, lingering at the table just a little bit longer than usual. Then we headed out to the next event on our busy calendar, bellies happy and full from good food and lots of laughs.

Most times, we come to the table just for the food, for daily sustenance. Other times, we gather at the table to celebrate a special occasion: a birthday, a holiday, a job promotion, an excellent report card, a team’s hard-earned win. But no matter the reason, each time we gather around the table, we leave with something more: A story that’s been told a hundred times but still makes us laugh. A vulnerable revelation from a child… or an adult. A connection over a shared experience, good or bad. A new insight. A sense of belonging. More knowledge. More gratitude. And so we make plans to gather again, and again, and again…. And in this simple act of gathering around the table and sharing a meal with family and friends, we discover that not only is a simple yet nourishing meal enough, but often it’s exactly what we need.

Baked Goat Cheese (or Feta Cheese) with Tomato Sauce

 

Print

This combination of tangy tomato sauce and creamy goat cheese (or feta cheese), scooped up with warm slices of crusty bread, is as satisfying as pizza and feels like a warm, cozy hug on a cold night. It can feed 4 people as an appetizer (or perhaps a few more people as part of a larger appetizer/small plates spread), or 2 to 4 people as a light meal with a green salad. This recipe also doubles easily to feed a larger crowd: Use a 28-ounce can of tomatoes and double the remaining ingredients. Bake in one large baking dish (you will likely need to increase the baking time) or divide among smaller oven-safe baking dishes or ramekins.

Since there are so few ingredients in this dish and the tomatoes and cheese are the stars, Sonja and Alex recommend seeking out the best-quality canned tomatoes (and cheese) you can find, and I concur! Muir Glen Organic is my favorite brand of canned tomatoes, and their fire-roasted tomatoes add an extra layer of flavor to this dish. You can find them at most grocery stores (and even at Target) these days.

I made a few minor modifications to this recipe based on what I had on hand and my family’s preferences; I’ve noted them below in brackets [ ].

VEGETARIAN, GLUTEN-FREE *

Author: Wholesome Family Kitchen

Serves: 2 to 4

Ingredients

• -- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
• -- ½ cup chopped white onion [I omitted this.]
• -- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
• -- ½ tablespoon red pepper flakes (or less to taste) [I added just a small pinch, about ⅛ teaspoon.]
• -- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil or ¼ teaspoon dried
• -- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• -- ½ tablespoon white wine vinegar [I omitted this, as the tomatoes and feta cheese I used provided enough acidity for our tastes.]
• -- 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes, San Marzano or fire-roasted, if possible
• -- ½ teaspoon kosher salt [or to taste]
• -- Freshly ground black pepper
• -- 4 ounces soft goat cheese [I used feta cheese for 3 of the 4 servings, because my boys do not like goat cheese.]
• -- Baguette or crusty bread, for serving *

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon fresh basil (or ¼ teaspoon dried), and oregano, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the white wine vinegar and stir for 1 minute, then carefully add the tomatoes, kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Reduce the heat, cover, and allow to simmer, lightly bubbling, for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
3. Spoon the tomato sauce into shallow oven-safe baking dishes or ramekins [I used 4 small ramekins so we’d each have our own serving], then add dollops of goat cheese [I sliced the feta cheese into smaller chunks, then added it to the baking dishes]. Bake until the cheese is warmed through, about 15 minutes. If desired, broil for a minute or two to brown the top of the cheese [I did not broil]. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then top with the remaining 1 teaspoon of fresh basil (optional) and a light drizzle of olive oil. Serve warm with crusty bread.

Notes

* GLUTEN-FREE: This recipe is gluten-free as written. If you are feeding gluten-sensitive or gluten-intolerant friends or family, just be sure to serve it with gluten-free bread.


Recipe excerpted from A Couple Cooks | Pretty Simple Cooking: 100 Delicious Vegetarian Recipes to Make You Fall in Love with Real Food by Sonja Overhiser and Alex Overhiser. Copyright © 2018. Available from Da Capo Lifelong Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

3.5.3226