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Dried Tomato Torta
Ingredients
1 cup cream cheese -- at room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter -- at room temperature
1 cup parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed -- drained (reserve oil
2 tablespoons oil -- from dried tomatoes
2 cups fresh basil leaves -- lightly packed
Method
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 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture until tomatoes are very 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. | 
