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!

I've never been much of a mayonnaise person and yet here I am, licking it straight off the spoon. So, what happened? Well it turns out that homemade mayonnaise or aioli (aioli is traditionally a creamy emulsion of garlic and olive oil but is commonly used today as a term for flavored mayonnaise) is not only super easy to make, but also way more delicious than the store bought stuff. Adding a salty hit of miso makes it so tasty you might not be able to contain yourself. Your raw and roasted veggies will be begging for a dip in the stuff. Your pretzels and crackers might even try to get in on the action.

I learned how to make aioli a few months ago during a Spanish tapas cooking class at the Pantry. (I highly recommend it for those in the Seattle area) If you've never made your own aioli before, you really should. Using the food processor makes it almost foolproof and you'll still feel like you've pulled off a great feat of culinary artistry. Once you have the basic method down, you can experiment to your heart's content.

I first experimented with adding miso when I was creating an appetizer for an asian leaning dinner party and I think this variation is a keeper. It's great served as a dip for blistered shishito peppers or dolloped on roasted sweet potato wedges but my favorite way to eat it is on thin slices of raw daikon radish. It's salty, creamy, crunchy and refreshing. What more can you ask for in a snack?

Miso Aioli

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 cup neutral oil (olive oil also works if you like the flavor)

3-4 Tbsp white miso

Add egg yolk, vinegar, and dry mustard to the bowl of a small food processor and pulse to combine. With the food processor running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Most machines have a special feeder in the lid for this purpose. Once the oil is fully combined, add 3 tbsp of miso and pulse to combine. Taste and add remaining tbsp of miso if desired. If you used olive oil, you'll likely need to go heavier on the miso. Miso aioli will keep in the fridge for up to a week.