Ok this isn’t technically baking. Or, at all baking really. But it’s really tasty so it’s fine.
I wanted to make something quick, simple, and summery. I’ve never done an appetizer before, so I thought that would be fun. Whenever I go to a restaurant I always love seeing the different flavor combos for crostini. It’s such a simple concept, but that leaves room for endless flavor combos.
I realized recently that some of my recipes are a little… complicated. I don’t feel like a lot of people are willing to spend a whole day baking something. So, I’m trying to make some easier recipes for beginners or when you just want to make something quick. As much as I appreciate people complimenting and enjoying my baked goods, one of the biggest reasons for this blog is so people can learn how to make some really tasty stuff.
The idea for this recipe really came to me while I was at the farmers market with my mom. We had just gotten strawberries and goat cheese, and were walking towards the basil. The idea started forming, so I gathered the rest of the ingredients. We were right across the street from one of my favorite local bakeries, so we walked over to get a fresh baguette. There’s something so satisfying about making something with all fresh and local ingredients.
What is Crostini
Crostini is an Italian appetizer made from small pieces of grilled bread, served with various toppings. It’s most commonly made using a baguette, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. We toast that up in some olive oil, and then we can get into the toppings. Most crostini has some sort of cheese, and I went for a nice creamy chèvre (thats goat cheese, I just like sounding fancy). Then to add some sweetness we have jammy roasted strawberries and a little honey.
Describe this Crostini to me
Taste: These are pretty rich, but they’re also small so it works out great. To start off, we are using a baguette. This gives us a good buttery and toasty base from the start. Next we have some goat cheese, which is a little tangy yet very creamy. On top of that we add some honey for a little sweetness, olive oil, salt and pepper. Now for the star of the show, the strawberries. These are slightly tart, but also sweet and a touch salty. I wanted to make sure this dish was savory, but with some sweetness all throughout.
Texture: As usual, we’ve got lot’s of textures. The bread is crispy and just a little chewy in the center, the cheese is creamy, and the strawberries provide some nice juiciness. It all works so well together, and makes this mini appetizers absolutely perfect for any summer get-together.
Ease: As I said earlier, this recipe is intended to be simple. We’re using simple ingredients and spices, nothing crazy going on. All you have to do is toss some strawberries together with some balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and basil. Then you throw that in the oven for a little while. Slice up your baguette, grill it with some olive oil, spread on your cheese, drizzle a little olive oil and honey on, and top it off with loads of those strawberries. Simple, quick, and so delicious.
The Strawberries
This is the “baking” part of this recipe. Summer is strawberry season so I wanted to keep the seasonings pretty simple. All we do is toss some juicy chopped strawberries with a little balsamic vinegar, honey, basil, salt, and pepper. Throw that in the oven for a little while. The berries are going to release a lot of juice, which is perfect for drizzling on top of the crostini.
The Other Stuff
Now for the savory part. The base is obviously bread, a baguette to be specific. Technically, the way I cut the bread makes it bruschetta, not crostini. Crostini is more or less the same thing, but the bread is cut a little thinner and crisper. The way I cut it is thicker, and therefore a little chewier but I think it is close enough. Anyway, we grill that up in some olive oil so it gets nice and crispy on top. Then we spread on some goat cheese, and top it with a little honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Then comes the strawberries, the star of the show. Make sure to load these up with lots of those strawberries because they are so dang good. And to top it off, I throw on a few leaves of fresh basil for that nice summery freshness.
I just realized this is the first savory recipe of ballerina baker! Crazy. I know I know, it’s shocking a 14 year old can make something that isn’t centered around sugar. But hey, I think this ones pretty good. And I may or may not have another savory recipe coming up for the fall…
Roasted Strawberry and Goat Cheese Crostini
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Toss the sliced strawberries with the balsamic vinegar, honey, basil, salt, and pepper in a large cast iron skillet.
- Cook in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, taking them out half way through to stir them around with a wooden spoon before returning to the oven. Once they’re done, they will have released a lot of juice, and be jammy. I like to broil mine for 2-3 minutes so a few of the berries get a little charred, but this is optional. If you choose to do this, make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Let the strawberries cool a little while you prepare the the rest of the crostini.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and heat until shimmering, Add as many slices of bread as can fit and cook until browned and crispy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Spread a thick layer of goat cheese on each of the bread slices. Drizzle a little honey and olive oil on top and sprinkle on a little salt and pepper. Spoon over a a good amount of the roasted strawberries over each slice, and make sure you drizzle over plenty of the strawberry juice. Top with fresh basil and serve immediately.
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