Za’atar Labneh with Cherry Tomato and Garlic Confit Crostinis

I would hands down prefer a smorgasbord of little bites over one single meal. I want my cake and to eat it too! Snacks are the best because you can eat more things! I can never decide what I want because I want it all! Well when you make small snacks you get to eat all the things! I’m no dummy. I know how to play the game! These za’atar labneh tomato crostinis are exactly one of the dishes I want infront of me!

I’m really surprised that I made this recipe because I usually am not a fan of yogurt due to the texture. That is until Labneh came into my life. It is also called yogurt cheese but let’s just ignore that please. It sounds like something you find in your belly button haha. Eww. Labneh is basically just strained yogurt which removes the whey. Straining the yogurt keeps the sour taste in the yogurt while thickening the texture. Then I added herbs and a good glug of olive oil just truly taking the labneh dip over the edge!

You could eat the labneh dip on its own as is but why not just go ahead and confit some garlic and cherry tomatoes while your at it! It sounds so fancy but really it’s just tomatoes and garlic bulbs simmering in a olive oil hot tub. Makes you want to jump in there with them huh? You still get the fresh acidity from the tomatoes but a lush velvety texture from the olive oil. I can’t wait until summer is full on and I am swimming in cherry tomatoes! Oh and I was diving into that hot tub searching for every piece of garlic! Think roasted garlic x10! Are you drooling yet? It’s time to make za’atar labneh tomato crostinis!

Ingredients

Za’atar Labneh

1/2 cup yogurt

1 tsp za’atar

1/2 tsp salt

drizzle of olive oil

Cherry Tomato and Garlic Confit

1 cup cherry tomatoes

8 cloves of garlic

3 fresh springs of thyme

olive oil

Crostini’s 

1 french baguette

olive oil

How to Make Za’atar Labneh Tomato Crostinis

This appetizer takes a day in advance to prepare but it is very hands off for the first 18-24 hours! Start by lining a colander with a cheese cloth. If you do not have a cheese cloth on hand you can use any mesh you have around but note that you may just need to layer up to get it fine enough so that the yogurt doesn’t seep through. I didn’t have any cheese cloth on hand so I used 2 reusable mesh produce bags layered on top of eachother. Add the yogurt into the lined colander and that’s all the work you have to do for the next 18-24 hours! If you are wanting extra labneh you can add more yogurt without the need to strain longer.

Place a bowl or tray under the colander to collect the whey that strains and a plate over the yogurt to keep it protected in the fridge. Pop this into the fridge for 18-24 hours. Depending how thick the original yogurt is will determine how long it will need to strain. You are looking for a thick texture similar to a soft cream cheese.

About 45 minutes before you are ready to eat preheat the oven to 350 degrees. The baking dish you use in this next step is crucial! Pack the cherry tomatoes tightly into the dish. Also the dish should be deep enough to cover the tomatoes in olive oil. In the baking dish start by layering in the fresh sprigs of thyme. On top of the thyme pack the dish tight with the cherry tomatoes. If you shake the dish and the tomatoes can move around you didn’t pack them tight enough!

In between the tomatoes squeeze in peeled garlic cloves. Trust me here you are going to want to fit in as many cloves as you can! Add more than you think! Now drizzle over a good amount of olive oil so that the tomatoes and garlic are swimming in an olive oil bath. To properly confit the tomatoes and garlic there needs to be an excess of olive oil. Lastly sprinkle on some salt and pop it into the oven for 30 minutes.

Making the crositin’s is super simple! Cut the french baguette into 1 inch thick slices and brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Pop them into the oven during the last 5-10 minutes of the tomato and garlic confit to crisp up. You want the tops of the crostini’s to be crispy but the inside still fluffy. We aren’t making bread sticks here!

Now it’s time to create the za’atar labneh dip. After 18-24 hours the yogurt should have strained enough whey creating a thicker texture turning the yogurt into labneh. Add the labneh to a bowl and drizzle over some olive oil. The labneh is pretty plain at this point so it will need a sprinkle of salt over the top. Lastly finish it off with a sprinkling of the za’atar.

Once you pull the tomatoes and garlic from the oven serve immediately! I think the perfect bite is built by slathering on a nice spoonful of labneh, and smooshing a piece of garlic and tomato on top. This is why you will want to cook more pieces of garlic than you think! I recommend even more than the 8 I suggested in the recipe if you can fit it! Otherwise your guests will be fighting for those sweet confit garlic cloves! Hope you enjoy these za’atar labneh tomato crostinis!

Don’t worry about waste either! All of the items in this recipe can have an amazing second life. Leftover garlic cloves can be used in recipes that call for roasted garlic. The olive oil you use to confit can be used as added flavor in recipes! Try sautéing onion in the leftover oil for your next pasta sauce! Leftover za’atar labneh is great slathered on a shwarma pita wrap. The tomatoes can even be blended up to make a delicious homemade tomato soup.