Roast Tomato Crostini with Creamy Za'atar Spread

Ingredients

• 400 grams assorted cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon maldon salt (or other coarse sea salt)
• black pepper
• 1 narrow baguette
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pack firm tofu (340 grams/12 ounces)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tablespoon za'atar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 small clove garlic (1.5 grams/0.05 ounces)
• fresh thyme leaves (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1
   Remove the stems from the tomatoes (if they have them) and toss them with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt and black pepper. Dump these onto a baking sheet including all the oil and roast in a 350 degree F (180 C) oven for 35-40 minutes.
2. 2
   While the tomatoes are roasting, slice the baguette, into 1/4-inch (7mm) thick slices, you should get about 40 slices from a baguette. Line them up in a single layer on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil and bake until golden brown (about 6-8 minutes).
3. 3
   Put the tofu in a cheese cloth and wring out as much water as you can. You can also crumble the tofu into a fine mesh strainer and add a weight on top, letting it drain for about an hour. After squeezing, you should be left with about 250 grams of tofu.
4. 4
   Put the squeezed tofu, tahini, za’atar, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, lemon zest, and garlic in the work bowl of a small food processor and process until smooth and creamy.
5. 5
   To assemble, smear some spread on the crostini and top with the tomatoes. Sprinkle on some thyme leaves to garnish.