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BRUSCHETTA CROSTINI TOASTS
Bruschetta, Crositini, Toasts - whatever you call it, these are some tasty toppings for your preferred base. They work wells as dips, and add a pleasant touch to fish, chicken, meats, salads, or wherever your imagination wanders.
Use baguettes or country bread style bread, cut into thin slices, preheat the broiler and place the slices on a baking sheet and toast until light golden brown on both sides. For meatier/savory recipes, it is nice to spray each side of the bread with a good olive oil, it crisps faster and adds a nice underflavor. Some recipes below specify a toast to use since that one has been my preference (for example I enjoy dark rye with some of the stronger fish), use whatever fits your preferences. Some also suggest additional ingredients. The idea is to play with it and make it to your taste.
BRUSCHETTA AL POMODORO:
Peel and chop 5 ripe plum tomatoes, salt them and let them drain in a colander. Chop 2 cloves of garlic, a handful of fresh basil leaves, and a handful of fresh parsley leaves. Mix all with 6 Tbsp olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
KALAMATA TAPENADE:
Place 3 c pitted Kalamata olives, 4 cloves garlic, 6 anchovy filets, 1 T caper and 1 T olive oil in a food processor and grind to a smooth paste add lemon juice and pepper, if desired. Makes about 40 small toasts.
MOREL MADEIRA CROSTINI:
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces black morels, trimmed and sliced (about 3 1/2 cups)
4 slices French bread, toasted
1/4 cup Madeira wine
1/4 cup chicken or veal stock, or water
1/2 teaspoon flour
3 Tbsp heavy cream
1 Tbsp chopped garlic chives
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Saute shallot in half of the butter until softened, add morels and the remaining butter and cook until soft. Spoon the morels and shallots over the toast. Add the Madeira and stock to the skillet and reduce for 5 minutes over high heat, lightly sprinkle in flour to thicken the sauce. Let the sauce cool for a few minutes, then stir in the cream. Pour
sauce over morels and toast. Sprinkle with chives, sea salt and pepper. Serves 4
MOROCCAN FAVA BEAN SPREAD:
1 pound unshelled fresh young fava beans
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed with a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch sweet paprika (optional)
Steam favas in pods for about 5 minutes then immediately cool under running water. Double peel and drop favas into a small heavy-bottomed
saucepan, add garlic, half of the oil, and 1/2 cup water, cook, stirring, until favas are soft and tender, about 2 minutes. Use a wooden potato masher to press down on favas to produce a chunky puree. Work in remaining olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice. Season with salt and cumin. Set aside until cool. Pack into a small container, cover with olive oil and a lid. Refrigerate.
The spread improves with an overnight rest and will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and stir in optional paprika before serving. Serve on thin
crostini. Serves 4, makes 1/2 cup
NAPOLETANI CROSTINI:
baguette or country bread, sliced and toasted
3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
2 cups fresh ricotta
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
16 anchovy fillets, preferably marinated fresh fillets
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
While still hot, rub each slice of bread with a garlic clove to impart a delicate flavor. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, black pepper, and oregano and smear casually over each bread slice. Top each with an anchovy fillet and return to the cookie sheet. Broil until cheese just oozes, about a minute. Arrange on a serving platter, drizzle with olive oil and serve. Makes 4 to 8 servings.
ONION SOUFFLÉ TOASTS:
Chop 1 yellow onion into small pieces, Add 3 Tbsp of mayonnaise and add 3 Tbsp of grated Parmesan until spreadable. Slice a baguette into ¼ inch rounds, top with a generous spoonful of onion mix and broil until bubbly.
PESTO GOAT CHEESE SPREAD:
4 oz soft mild goat cheese at room temperature
2 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup pesto
Stir together all ingredients with salt and pepper to taste until smooth.
(Spread keeps, covered and chilled up to 1 week). Makes about 1 cup.
SUN-DRIED-TOMATO TAPENADE:
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup drained capers
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
French-bread baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Additional olive oil
Chop (pulse) olives and tomatoes in processor, add 2/3 cup oil, capers, and oregano, blend to coarse puree, transfer to bowl, cover and refrigerate. (Can be made 3 days ahead) Bring to room temperature before using.) Makes about 36
SUN-DRIED-TOMATO PATE:
Blend in a food processor until a paste is made - 2 oz ground sun-dried tomatoes (soaked in water for 10 minutes, drain
and wring) with ½ c Kalamata olives, ¼ c olive oil, 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic and 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar.
SUN-DRIED-TOMATO CHEESE SPREAD:
Blend in a food processor until a paste is made - ¼ pound feta cheese, 4 oz cream cheese, 4 tbsp olive oil, 6 tbsp ground sun-dried tomatoes, juice of ½ lemon, and black pepper to taste. Chill overnight, serve at room temperature with baguettes.
SAVORY TUNA TOASTS:
1/2 day-old baguette
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Large pinch of herbes de Provence, or mixed Italian herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
3 ounces white-meat chunk tuna, packed in olive oil, drained
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sour cream or mayonnaise, or as desired
1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Cut the baguette crosswise into thin slices. Heat the oil in a heavy nonstick skillet. When it's hot, add the baguette slices in a single layer. Or, brush the bread with oil and place under the broiler. Pan brown or broil, turning once or twice, until the bread is lightly toasted and brown at the edges, dryish and crisp. Remove from the heat and toss with the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.
Mash the tuna with a fork, then mash in the green onion, sour cream, lemon juice and half of the parsley and chives. Refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to serve, spread the tuna mixture somewhat thinly on top of the garlicky toasts, and garnish with the remaining parsley and chives. Serves 4
SMOKED SALMON, GOAT CHEESE AND CRUMBLED BACON ON GRILLED TOASTS:
12 slices of baguette
1 tablespoon milk or cream
3 ounces soft goat cheese
3 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
4 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
Grill or toast the baguette slices on both sides until slightly golden. Mix the milk into the goat cheese to make a smooth spread. Mix in the salmon. Spread each toast with some of the salmon-cheese mixture, then top with crumbled bacon. Serves 4
SMOKED TROUT CROSTINI:
sweet baguette
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces smoked trout fillet
5.2 ounces herbed Boursin cheese, at room temperature
1/2 bunch watercress, or a handful of baby arugula
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the baguette straight across into 1/4-inch-thick slices (30-36). Brush one side of each slice with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, until crisp but not brown. The crostini will become more crisp as they cool.
Remove any skin on the trout. Cut the fillet into thin slices. When the crostini have cooled, spread cheese on each, add a watercress leaf and top with a slice of trout. Finish with a drop of extra virgin olive oil and a grind of pepper. (If you are doing a buffet, or need to keep the crostini for a while before serving, flake the trout and fold into the cheese.)
Makes 30 to 36 crostini
SMOKED TROUT ON BROWN BREAD TOASTS:
11 ounces smoked trout (about 3 fillets), coarsely flaked
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, cut in thin strips
1 cup finely chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon (or more) finely grated peeled fresh horseradish
1 loaf thinly sliced brown bread, lightly toasted, cut into triangles
Mix trout, apple, celery, and chives in large bowl to blend. Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon horseradish in small bowl to blend. Fold horseradish mixture gently into trout mixture (do not break up trout). Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more horseradish if desired. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Transfer trout mixture to serving bowl and place on platter. Surround with toasts and serve. Makes 12 servings
TUNA MOUSSE FOR CROSTINI:
1 tin (200 grams) olive oil-packed tuna, drained
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions (white and pale green parts), coarsely chopped
1 or 2 large anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon salt-packed capers, rinsed and patted dry
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Serve on small toasts.
Makes 1 cup
WILD MUSHROOM PATE:
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 pounds fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed, or crimini mushrooms, very coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 3/4 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup roasted salted cashews
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, and basil)
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat, add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, curry, and cumin and cook until mixture begins to brown and all liquid evaporates, stirring frequently (about 12 minutes), cool.
Finely chop cashews in processor, add oil, blend to coarse paste, add mushroom mixture and chopped herbs, blend in pulses until mushrooms are coarsely chopped, season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon mushroom pâté into bowl. Cover and chill 4 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled.) Makes 10 appetizer servings
Another not quite crostini type toastable:
CHILE CHEESE BREAD:
2 baguettes
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Pepper Jack cheese
3 Anaheim chiles, charred, peeled, seeded and chopped, or 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles, drained and chopped
1 teaspoon pure ground red chili or paprika for color and flavor
Use a serrated bread knife to slice each baguette in half horizontally. Gently warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Stir in the sour cream, cheese and chopped chiles. Spread the cheese mixture over the bread, place on a baking sheet and broil until puffy and golden. Sprinkle with red chile or paprika. Cut into 3-inch pieces and serve. Serves 6 to 8
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