Crostini agli Spinaci
Ingredients:
- slices of good, crusty bread (best if a couple days old)
- spinach
- cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil (ideally, just back from the mill!)
- cheese
- pepper
- salt
- optional: lemon juice
Toast bread slices. Steam spinach. Drain any water. Toss with olive oil and a bit of lemon juice if desired. Add salt, pepper to taste. Mound on hot toasted bread – add cheese and bake on a cookie sheet until the cheese melts.
(Alternative: toss spinach in hot olive oil with a handful of pine nuts – and currants (if desired), then proceed as above.)
Crostini al Cavolfiore
Ingredients:
- slices of good, crusty bread (best if a couple days old)
- cauliflower
- cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil (ideally, just back from the mill!)
- garlic
- optional: hot red pepper, Parmesan cheese
Toast bread slices. Steam cauliflower. Warm in olive oil and garlic (hot red pepper, if desired). Mound on slices of hot toasted bread. Serve – or add some excellent Parmesan and warm briefly in the oven.
Crostini al Pomodoro e Mozzarella
Ingredients:
- slices of good, crusty bread (best if a couple days old)
- mozzarella
- cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil (ideally, just back from the mill!)
- very ripe tomato
- basil, oregano, or parsley
- optional: black olives, Parmesan cheese
Toast bread. Finely chop mozzarella and mix with diced tomato and diced herb of choice (and bits of black olive if desired). Serve – or add some excellent Parmesan and warm briefly in the oven.
Other toppings for crostini: tuna and tomato (with caper and/or olives, if desired), anchovies and mozzarella (a classic Roman crostino), sauteéd leeks and cheese varieties.
A traditional Umbrian topping is green tomato condiment. When cool weather sets in, it is time to pick the green tomatoes still in the garden. They can be turned into a tasty topping for crostini, bruschette, sharp cheeses, boiled meats. Click here to see how to make this tasty condiment.
Invent a new crostino and let me know – happy to add to these recipes.
Umbrian Green Tomatoes Condiment – for your crostini or bruschetta
