What to do with Pearl Onions & Cherry Tomatoes

This was one of those recipes I randomly came across (I think through the Epicourious.com site), and decided to try out for myself over the weekend. It sounded really gourmet-ish (um, yeah, that’s a word now), but simple in nature. I decided to give it my own twist, and am so in love with it that I literally wrote down everything while I was eating it. Yep, it’s that good.

So here is my version (and even my own pictures too this time)!

Roasted Pearl Onions & Cherry Tomatoes Serves 1-2 (tapas or lunch portion)

Ingredients

1 pkg sweet cherry tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic (halved)
1 ½ cups pearl onions
Coarse salt Wasa crackers (or bread)
Spreadable cheese (I used Laughing Cow, but you could use cream cheese, or even brie)
Unsalted butter (optional)
Olive Oil / Red Wine Vinegar (or balsamic)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil water in a large pot, then blanche the onions for 10 seconds. Fish ‘em out, then quickly drop them into a bowl full of cold water (this will make them easier to peel). Slice off the bottoms, and peel off the outsides.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, garlic halves, and onions. Add about 2 tbsp olive oil, 1-2 tbsp of red wine/balsamic vinegar, and about 1 tbsp coarse salt. Mix well with your hands and dump onto a cookie sheet.

Roast for about 45 minutes, turning everything with a spatula every 15 minutes. While waiting, spread cheese on your Wasa crackers, or toast. Remove tomato/onion/garlic mixture from oven and toss with some of the butter. Top crackers or bread with the mixture and enjoy. Mine could've topped about 4 Wasa crackers!

It’d probably be really yummy sprinkled with fresh basil too…. I think I’ll try that next time!