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

Preparation:

• 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.