Easy Summer App: Strawberry, Balsamic & Goat Cheese Crostini
When confronted with the task of bringing a summery app to a friends potluck the other day, I froze for a moment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not intimidated by potlucks in the least. Quite the opposite -- I love them! But I did feel the need to bring something a little different. The stress came from the fact that I was very pressed for time, with less than an hour to pick up ingredients and get things in order for the occasion. As soon as my friend brought up the idea of making bruschetta, it came to me - Strawberry, Balsamic & Goat Cheese Crostinis! Think of it as bruschetta reworked, inspired by the one of my favorite summer ingredients.
You can stay simple, like I did, or add some flare by swapping out goat cheese for blue cheese, or dropping cheese altogether and using a greek yogurt instead. I've seen some recipes that used crumbled bacon as a garnish and others that add in more sugar versus salt. Either way, the crostinis were a major success at the dinner party and could not have been more convenient to make. Here's how I did it.
Ingredients
- 1 baguette (long and thin)
- 1 pint strawberries
- 1 log goat cheese
- 2 tbsp balsamic
- basil
- evoo
- salt & pepper
Directions
- Preheat overn to 400'
- Wash and dice strawberries
- Pour 2 tsp balsamic over strawberries, let sit for at least ten minutes (but you can let sit for much longer if you prefer)
- Slice baguette in half inch pieces, drizzle with evoo and place in oven on cookie sheet for approx five minutes or until edges start to turn a golden/brown
- Remove and let cool, now you are ready to assemble
- Top crostini with goat cheese, spread evenly
- Sprinkle with chopped basil
- Add small spoonfull of balsamic strawberries to each
- Finish off with a pinch of salt and cracked pepper (to taste) and drizzle with some additional balsamic
And there you have it. You've just impressed all your friends in 20 minutes or less. Where's an easy button when you need one? Do those still exist?
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About the authors
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Michelle Zippelli is a Boston based hedonist who is committed to finding the best food that Boston has to offer. She has lived in Boston for 6 years and works in online marketing. Michelle loves meatballs, live music, exotic cheeses, Mexican food, spur of the moment dance parties, and all things pickled.
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Jacki Morisi is a self-proclaimed bon vivant extraordinaire. A Boston native whose waking hours are exclusively focused on travel, music, food, and fare ... emphasis on food and fare. She's a firm believer that just because you're living on a young professional's budget doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste, and carries this mantra into each and every dining endeavor.
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