A Tale of Two Crostinis: Peach and Chutney
Isn't summer coming to a close the best and worst of times? (Or was Styx right? The best of times are when I'm alone with you and have nothing to do with seasons?) It's hard to think about giving up warmth, sunshine, and swimming, but back to school, apple picking, changing leaves, and sleeping with the windows open have their own charms.
Here I have two crostini recipes, an unusual one with peaches for the peak and end of summer times and an apple chutney version that is perfect for fall and winter times. The peach crostini is easy and quick. The chutney crostini is more time and labor intensive, unless you use a similar purchased chutney, which would also work well. Both are not the worst things I've ever eaten.
Crostini:
Sliced baguette or ciabatta bread
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange bread slices on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Also may be grilled instead of baked. I like it either way.
Peach, Prosciutto & Ricotta Crostini
from Bon Appetit
12 slices crostini
1 ripe peach
small container fresh ricotta (I used whole milk type)
Black pepper
4 thin slices of prosciutto (if you haven't checked this out before, prosciutto is an expensive Italian dry-cured version of ham, but the deli at my local Village Market carries this so I got what I needed for less than $2)
Honey
Halve, pit, peel, and thinly slice peach. Spoon about 1 tablespoon ricotta onto each toast and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Tear prosciutto into feathery pieces and drape a few slices over ricotta on each. Drizzle each with honey and top with 1or 2 peach slices.
Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese and Apple Chutney
based on a recipe from the 128 Cafe in St Paul that was published in Bon Appetite
Chutney:
1/2 c (packed) golden brown sugar
6 T. rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 t peeled fresh ginger
dash cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick
3/4 lb Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into -inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 t chopped fresh mint
Roasted garlic:
1 head garlic
1/4 c olive oil
12 to 16 slices crostini
6 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), room temperature
For chutney: Stir sugar and vinegar in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add next 4 ingredients and simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Mix in apples and raisins. Increase heat to high and boil until apples are tender, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (Chutney can be made 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.) Mix in mint.
For roasted garlic: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut top 1/4 inch off head of garlic to expose cloves. Place garlic in small baking dish. Add oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Turn garlic cut side up. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until garlic skins are golden brown and cloves are tender, about 55 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic cloves from skins.
Spread each toast with roasted garlic; top with goat cheese and chutney.
If you need a third crostini, and who doesn't, whip out the ever-delicious tomato, fresh mozzerella, basil, and olive oil crostini.
For those of you who are confused about the difference between crostini and bruschetta, according to Nancy Silverton from Food & Wine, both are Italian and toasted bread. "Crostini translates to "little toasts" and generally refers to small pieces of bread that are baked. These toasts are then topped with a variety of ingredients like cheese, vegetables, meat, or seafood. Bruschetta, on the other hand, is a larger piece of bread that is cooked over coals or a grill. Bruschetta can be rubbed with garlic and is traditionally served freshly charred. Like crostini, bruschetta can be topped with a wide range of items." So call it what you want and eat it like you like it.
Here I have two crostini recipes, an unusual one with peaches for the peak and end of summer times and an apple chutney version that is perfect for fall and winter times. The peach crostini is easy and quick. The chutney crostini is more time and labor intensive, unless you use a similar purchased chutney, which would also work well. Both are not the worst things I've ever eaten.
Crostini:
Sliced baguette or ciabatta bread
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange bread slices on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Also may be grilled instead of baked. I like it either way.
Peach, Prosciutto & Ricotta Crostini
from Bon Appetit
12 slices crostini
1 ripe peach
small container fresh ricotta (I used whole milk type)
Black pepper
4 thin slices of prosciutto (if you haven't checked this out before, prosciutto is an expensive Italian dry-cured version of ham, but the deli at my local Village Market carries this so I got what I needed for less than $2)
Honey
Halve, pit, peel, and thinly slice peach. Spoon about 1 tablespoon ricotta onto each toast and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Tear prosciutto into feathery pieces and drape a few slices over ricotta on each. Drizzle each with honey and top with 1or 2 peach slices.
Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese and Apple Chutney
based on a recipe from the 128 Cafe in St Paul that was published in Bon Appetite
Chutney:
1/2 c (packed) golden brown sugar
6 T. rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 t peeled fresh ginger
dash cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick
3/4 lb Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into -inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 t chopped fresh mint
Roasted garlic:
1 head garlic
1/4 c olive oil
12 to 16 slices crostini
6 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), room temperature
For chutney: Stir sugar and vinegar in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add next 4 ingredients and simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Mix in apples and raisins. Increase heat to high and boil until apples are tender, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (Chutney can be made 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.) Mix in mint.
For roasted garlic: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut top 1/4 inch off head of garlic to expose cloves. Place garlic in small baking dish. Add oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Turn garlic cut side up. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until garlic skins are golden brown and cloves are tender, about 55 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic cloves from skins.
Spread each toast with roasted garlic; top with goat cheese and chutney.
If you need a third crostini, and who doesn't, whip out the ever-delicious tomato, fresh mozzerella, basil, and olive oil crostini.
For those of you who are confused about the difference between crostini and bruschetta, according to Nancy Silverton from Food & Wine, both are Italian and toasted bread. "Crostini translates to "little toasts" and generally refers to small pieces of bread that are baked. These toasts are then topped with a variety of ingredients like cheese, vegetables, meat, or seafood. Bruschetta, on the other hand, is a larger piece of bread that is cooked over coals or a grill. Bruschetta can be rubbed with garlic and is traditionally served freshly charred. Like crostini, bruschetta can be topped with a wide range of items." So call it what you want and eat it like you like it.
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