Yield: 8 Servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | Cream cheese -- at room |
| \N \N | Temperature |
| 1 cup | Unsalted butter -- at room |
| \N \N | Temperature |
| 1 cup | Parmesan cheese -- freshly |
| \N \N | Grated |
| ½ cup | Sun-dried tomatoes, |
| \N \N | Oil-packed -- drained |
| \N \N | (reserve oil |
| 2 tablespoons | Oil -- from dried tomatoes |
| 2 cups | Fresh basil leaves -- |
| \N \N | Lightly packed |
With an electric mixer or food processor, beat cream cheese, butter and parmesan cheese until very smoothly blended. Cut 4 tomatoes into thin strips; set aside. Whirl remaining tomatoes, oil and about ½ cup of the cheese mixture until tomatoes arevery smoothly pureed; scrape puree back into bowl with cheese mixture and beat to blend.
Cover bowl and chill for about 20 minutes, or until firm enough to shape. Mound cheese on a platter. If made ahead, cover with and inverted bowl (don't let it touch the cheese) and chill up to 3 days; serve at room temperature. Arrange reserved tomato strips and basil leaves around torta. Sunset suggests spreading cheese on toast (they recommend toasted pita bread triangles) and topping with a basil leaf and a tomato strip. Makes 8 to 10 appetizer servings.
Recipe By : Sunset Magazine