Crostini with Two Toppings

I feel like it has been so long since I have posted. In all honesty, I haven't made anything recently that has been fantastic. Perhaps my lack of enthusiasm can be related to the frigid weather that we are having. In lieu of recipes that I have made recently, I will post some oldies but goodies.

This recipe for crostinis with two toppings comes from a couples cooking class that Mike and I took at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. This was a birthday gift that Mike gave me last year and we took the class entitled, T'was the Night Before Christmas. At the start of this cooking class everyone was given the recipe packet of the dishes that we would feast on that evening. After some time for review, the chef and our instructor asked for volunteers to prepare the various dishes. Mike is not as comfortable in the kitchen as I am, so we opted to make the appetizers. The great thing about making the appetizer is that it was what everyone ate while we were waiting for the rest of the dishes to be done. In other words, when we were done, we were done. We did not have to worry about the last minute prep before dinner or get up from dinner to put the finishing touches on dessert. It was a smart move on our part.

The toppings for the crostinis are very easy to make and quite impressive. I have made the olive tapanade a few times and received many compliments for it. These are so good that it makes me want to have a party just so I can eat this again.

Crostinis
1 baguette
1/2 cup olive oil
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 spring of rosemary

Slice the baguette diagonally into thin slices. In a small pan, heat the olive oil with garlic and rosemary until garlic is brown but not burned. Turn the heat off and allow to cool. Strain the garlic from oil. With a pastry brush, brush the bread rounds with olive oil. Place on a cookie sheet in a 350F oven until golden brown.

Olive Tapanade
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
3 anchovy filets
2 TBS capers
1 clove garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Place first 5 ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse on and off until it reaches a grain consistency. Add oil in a slow stream while pulsing. Season with pepper. Note: if it tastes too salty add a little bit more lemon juice.

Sun-dried Tomato Paste
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, oil reserved
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 TBS basil
3-5 TBS olive oil (use from sun-dried tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place first 4 ingredients in a food processor. While machine is running, add oil in a slow stream. Season with salt and pepper.

These toppings are so easy to make. It is an easy and impressive appetizer for a crowd.