Springtime Crostini
Contributed by Tiffany McGregor
There is something so spring-y about the tastes of goat cheese and asparagus and those tastes come together to make an easy and delicious little appetizer! These little crostini looks like something from the land of Marth Stewart and is always such a crowd pleaser; who doesn’t like yummy stuff on toasted bread?
This recipe calls for an unusual homemade pesto and toasted crostini, but I have used store-bought traditional pesto and pre-toasted crostini to make whipping this up even easier!
You’ll need: oven, baking sheet, grill/ grill pan, food processor, sharp knife, serrated/ bread knife, cutting board, pastry brush, (unflavored dental floss can be used to slice goat cheese but a sharp knife works, too).
Prep time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
8 baguette slices, ½ inch thick and sliced on a diagonal
1 small package plain goat cheese (about 4oz)
8 asparagus tips cut about the length of a pinky or just slightly shorter than the baguette slices
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the pesto:
2 cups fresh arugula
½ cup walnut halves (coarsely chopped)
½ cup grated Parmesan
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped,
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon
Salt & pepper
Flake salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut baguette on the bias to yield 8 ½ inch thick slices. Brush one side lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt (flaky or kosher salt if you have it). Bake on a sheet pan for about 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Set aside to cool.
While crostini are toasting, trim the asparagus tips so that you have pieces that will fit on top of the crostini, probably to about the size of your pinky (retain the rest of the stalks for use in other dishes like asparagus soup). Lightly coat them with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook them on a hot grill or grill pan until they are softened. Use tongs to roll the asparagus to help ensure even cooking and some development of grill marks; this will take about 6-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Set them aside to cool.
In the bowl of a food processor, add arugula, garlic, walnuts, and Parmesan. Pulse until blended and then continue to blend while drizzling in olive oil via the intake tube on the top of the food processor. Season pesto with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon to taste.
To assemble the crostini, slather a generous amount of pesto on the bread, top with a slice of goat cheese and a piece of asparagus on top. Garnish with a sprinkle of flaky salt and maybe some lemon zest if you are feeling it. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: This recipe is incredibly versatile! I often will use chopped tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or thinly sliced radish as toppers. Experiment with different flavors and colors of your own.
Flake salt: The cost is a little more than standard table salt, but a little really goes a long way and can add so much to the finish of many dishes. Maldon is a brand that I like to use; my current box is at least 4 years old and I have barely used ¼ of it!
Contributed by Tiffany McGregor
There is something so spring-y about the tastes of goat cheese and asparagus and those tastes come together to make an easy and delicious little appetizer! These little crostini looks like something from the land of Marth Stewart and is always such a crowd pleaser; who doesn’t like yummy stuff on toasted bread?
This recipe calls for an unusual homemade pesto and toasted crostini, but I have used store-bought traditional pesto and pre-toasted crostini to make whipping this up even easier!
You’ll need: oven, baking sheet, grill/ grill pan, food processor, sharp knife, serrated/ bread knife, cutting board, pastry brush, (unflavored dental floss can be used to slice goat cheese but a sharp knife works, too).
Prep time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
8 baguette slices, ½ inch thick and sliced on a diagonal
1 small package plain goat cheese (about 4oz)
8 asparagus tips cut about the length of a pinky or just slightly shorter than the baguette slices
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the pesto:
2 cups fresh arugula
½ cup walnut halves (coarsely chopped)
½ cup grated Parmesan
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped,
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon
Salt & pepper
Flake salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut baguette on the bias to yield 8 ½ inch thick slices. Brush one side lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt (flaky or kosher salt if you have it). Bake on a sheet pan for about 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Set aside to cool.
While crostini are toasting, trim the asparagus tips so that you have pieces that will fit on top of the crostini, probably to about the size of your pinky (retain the rest of the stalks for use in other dishes like asparagus soup). Lightly coat them with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook them on a hot grill or grill pan until they are softened. Use tongs to roll the asparagus to help ensure even cooking and some development of grill marks; this will take about 6-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Set them aside to cool.
In the bowl of a food processor, add arugula, garlic, walnuts, and Parmesan. Pulse until blended and then continue to blend while drizzling in olive oil via the intake tube on the top of the food processor. Season pesto with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon to taste.
To assemble the crostini, slather a generous amount of pesto on the bread, top with a slice of goat cheese and a piece of asparagus on top. Garnish with a sprinkle of flaky salt and maybe some lemon zest if you are feeling it. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: This recipe is incredibly versatile! I often will use chopped tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or thinly sliced radish as toppers. Experiment with different flavors and colors of your own.
Flake salt: The cost is a little more than standard table salt, but a little really goes a long way and can add so much to the finish of many dishes. Maldon is a brand that I like to use; my current box is at least 4 years old and I have barely used ¼ of it!
Basic Bechamel
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
White Turkey Chili
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
Chicken and Polenta
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
Gratifying Granita
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!