Crostini Trio

Crostinis are one of my favorite appetizers. Crostinis should not be confused with bruschetta which is also made with bread, rubbed with garlic and olive oil, and is usually topped with tomato and basil. Crostinis are generally made with smaller pieces of bread that are toasted in the oven, while bruschetta is toasted over a grill and is charred. Both can be topped with your favorite toppings. Feel free to turn my crostini recipe into bruschetta!

Crostini Trio

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Servings

Ingredients

• French baguette or ciabatta bread
• vine ripe tomatoes
• fresh basil
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• salt
• crushed black pepper
• Any olives- green or purple pitted
• olive oil
• goat cheese I used herb goat cheese
• red pepper
• truffle oil
• salt
• fresh parsley

Instructions

• Slice the baguette into thin slices, about a half inch thick. Line a tray with parchment and lay the slices of bread on the sheet. Brush with a little olive oil and some sea salt. Toast in a 350 oven for about 7-10 minutes.
• Tomato and Basil Crostini
• Wash and dry a few vine ripe tomatoes and cut out the seeds.
• Dice the tomato into small pieces. Wash and dry a few basil leaves, slice into strips. Add the tomatoes and basil to a bowl, drizzle some olive oil, and a little balsamic vinegar. Add salt, and freshly ground black pepper and mix. For great flavor, let it marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
• Goat Cheese and Olive Tapenade Crostini
• I like to make the olive tapenade from scratch, but you can easily buy it. A tapenade can be made with any type of olive; I used whatever I had in the fridge- Alfonzo olives and green olives. Since both olives had pits I used my olive pitter, if you don’t have an olive pitter, smash the olive with the palm of your hand- the pit will be easier to remove.
• Add the pitted olives to a food processor; add a little olive oil and process until fine.
• As for goat cheese- any type goes, I used an herb goat cheese that happened to be in the fridge (I also tried it with a honey almond goat cheese-which was excellent!) First spread a little of the goat cheese on the crostini, then top with the olive tapenade.
• Roasted Red Pepper with Truffle Oil Crostini
• Cut a red pepper in half and take out the seeds and all the white ribs. Put them on a tray with parchment paper and roast in a 450 oven for about 20-25 minutes.
• You want them to get burnt.
• Once they are finished and have cooled, the skin will peel off easily.
• Dice the pepper. Next add some fresh chopped parsley and some salt. Lastly, drizzle some truffle oil in the bowl- go easy! truffle oil is VERY strong and can be quite offensive if you add too much…add a little at a time and keep tasting.