Home | Food | Tabletop | Picnic | Gifts | What's New | Sale | Recipe Index
Quick
Appetizers
using Pestos and Tapenades from The Posh Gourmet
Recipes courtesy Sandie Jarrett
Basic Crostini Recipe
Pesto Bread
Recipe
Muffuletta
Appetizer Recipe
Simple and basic, this
Crostini is the perfect beginning to many starters. Be careful not to over
season as you don’t
want the Crostini to overwhelm the flavor of the topping.
Start with a good bread. I
prefer a small (about 9” around) flute of San Francisco Sourdough, sliced ˝ inch
thick, though
a nice day-old baguette or even a good quality sandwich bread will do just
fine. If using full sized slices of bread, trim
down to 2-bite pieces (about 3” X 2” – 2 ˝ “). Brush slices with a small amount
of EVOO and pop under the broiler until
the bread just starts to turn golden. Do not toast – just ‘dry-out’ the top so
that when topped, the Crostini doesn’t become soggy.
Top the crostini with your
favorite pesto, tapenade, or hearty spread, sprinkle with grated Italian cheese,
and chopped fresh
herbs for a fast gourmet snack.
Links to Products used in this Recipe: Tapenades | Pestos | Gourmet Olive Oils
1 container (7
ounces) Basil Pesto
1 baguette, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, cut into thin round slices
Preheat
broiler. Spread pesto over bread; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Top with tomato
slices. Place on baking sheet.
Broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until bread is crisp and cheese is melted. Cut into
pieces.
Links to Products used in this Recipe: Sea Salts & Seasonings | Gourmet Olive Oils
Makes about 24 appetizers
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large (6 – 8”), crusty sandwich rolls or a baguette, split
1/2 pound sliced Genoa salami
1/2 pound sliced Cappicola ham
1/2 pound sliced provolone
24 pitted olives
In a small bowl, combine the olive tapenade with the oregano, parsley, and
garlic. Mix well. Spread 1/4 of the olive spread on the
bottom half of each roll. Top the olive salad with the salami, ham, and
provolone.
To serve, slice each sandwich into 6 – 8 slices, add a pitted olive and skewer with a tooth pick.
Cook’s
Notes:
If the top of the roll is too rounded and the roll won’t
lay flat, simply cut off the excess to form a level surface.
When cutting the bread halves into pieces, cut into diagonal slices.
I prefer a thicker layer of
Tuscan Olive Spread so I use 1-1/2 jars when making the full recipe. The
leftover tapenade can be used in salad dressings,
pastas,
or on crackers.
For a
heated Muffuletta, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the sandwiches on a baking
sheet. Make a foil ‘tent’ to cover, by sticking a wooden tooth
pick in each sandwich, then placing the foil over the top, tucking the foil
under the sides of the baking sheet to secure. The idea is to keep the foil
from touching the cheese. Heat in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese
melts. Slice as above and serve hot.
Links to Products used in this Recipe: Tuscan Olive Spread
Home | The Posh Gourmet Store | Newsletter Request | Privacy Policy | About Us | Information | Gourmet Food/Info Blog | Site Map
Content copyright © 2006 by Sandie Jarrett/The Posh Gourmet. All rights
reserved.
This content was written by Sandie Jarrett. If you wish to use this content in
any manner,
you need written permission from the author.