Oscars Party! Great Appetizer!

Just made these easy appetizers for my granddaughter's 3rd birthday, a fun tea party just for girls. (Well, I made some simple ham on white bread for the kids, too.)

I'd been meaning to post this recipe for some time... When I saw the headline on MSN, 9 elegant snacks fit for an Oscars party, I figured it was high time I got this recipe out online. It's so handy to have some of the already-marinated sun-dried tomato on hand; the recipe can come together in a flash! (Well, almost, if you've planned ahead...)

We make this a lot at The New Deli. (We also add the sun-dried tomatoes to our most popular pasta salad, "Pasta Parmesan", too.) Part of the secret is to "steep" the raw garlic quickly in the microwave, bringing out its full flavor. No, it is not always easy to steep it in a pan. (Have you noticed how easily it burns?!) Also, it wasn't easy to microwave the raw garlic at first, either. (It quite quickly can burn in there as well.) The secret, I discovered, was to include just a splash of water to help the garlic heat in the microwave (along with a splash of oil).

OK, Oscars Party or not, there are plenty of occasions for this great appetizer!