Bruschetta with labneh and slow roasted tomatoes

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of joining labneh cheese maker Shelly Zaidman at Fairview for a look behind the scenes at their manufacturing plant, and a taste of this new product range. Fairview Labneh is a soft white, medium fat Mediterranean style cheese made from strained yoghurt (100% Jersey cow’s milk), which gives it a fresh acidic taste and a smooth consistency, much like smooth cottage cheese.

Shelly is originally from Israel, but moved to Cape Town with her husband and three young kids a few years ago. She started making labneh for her family after not finding a suitable soft fresh cheese in SA for their household use. After some friends tasted it, she realised how popular it was with locals alike, and started selling it on a small scale. Soon, she hooked up with the people at Fairview to start producing it on a bigger scale, and her labneh is now available in many large retail stores.

In December last year, I had the pleasure of working with The Pretty Blog team on an official recipe development project for Fairview Labneh. Although labneh is such a versatile dip on its own, the sweetness and texture of Mediterranean-style slow roasted tomatoes just enhances all of the creamy and tangy qualities of the cheese. This simple recipe is my favourite way of enjoying labneh: spread generously on bruschetta, topped with these slow roasted tomatoes.

Fairview’s labneh is available in two flavours: 1) Garlic & Herbs and 2) Za’atar. Woolworths also stocks a version with red pepper pesto. Very delicious!

Ingredients: (serves 4 people as a snack/starter, served with bread)

• 400g cherry/rosa tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 30 ml olive oil
• 15 ml apple cider vinegar (or sherry vinegar)
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 15 ml light brown sugar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200 g Fairview Labneh, Garlic & Herb flavour
• sliced ciabatta/baguette, toasted (to serve)

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 C.
2. In a small/medium size roasting tray, add the tomatoes & garlic. Drizzle with olive oil & vinegar, then sprinkle with thyme, brown sugar, salt & pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Roast for 50-60 minutes, or until the tomatoes at the edges start to turn dark and sticky.
4. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Remove any hard thyme twigs.
5. Place the labneh in a medium size dip bowl. Add the tomatoes and swirl slightly. Serve with good quality bread.