In honour of Meat-Free Mondays, we are preparing this delightful recipe of Baked Ricotta, Goats Cheese and Candied Tomatoes

For the baked cheese:
425g ricotta cheese (must be drained or the baked dish will be watery)
113g goats cheese
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram or leafy herb of your choice
Generous grindings of black pepper
Generous grindings of salt

For the candied tomatoes:
340g cherry tomatoes on the vine
1/4 cup sherry/dry white wine
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 sprigs marjoram or leafy herb of your choice
Sea salt

For the baked cheese:
Place the ricotta in a colander and leave to drain for about 30 minutes, pressing down to extract liquid.  Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celcius.  Brush the inside of a baking dish with olive oil.  In the bowl of a mixer, beat the ricotta, goats cheese and egg until smooth.  Beat in the herbs (chopped if the leaves are large), a generous amount of salt and pepper.  Spoon the cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 40 minutes or until puffed in the centre and browning.  Let the cheese cool slightly, then invert it out onto a plate.

For the tomatoes:
While the cheese is baking, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, then drop in the tomatoes.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the skins on the tomatoes start to split.  Pull the pan off the heat, add the sherry/white wine and return to the heat.  Add the brown sugar and herbs and stir until the sugar is melted.  Add a generous pinch of salt.  Lower the heat and cook gently until the liquid is reduced to a syrupy coating for the tomatoes.  The tomatoes will collapse and some may disintergrate, that's fine.

When ready to serve, spoon the candied tomatoes over the warm baked cheese and serve with sliced baguette or crostini. 

Quote of the Day
"I don't think the question is 'Is the customer always right?' but rather, 'Do you want to make your customer happy?'"
-Chef Thomas Keller on Customer Service