{ Crostini Duo: Avocado and Aged Balsamic & Pesto, Ricotta and Tomato }

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day in the Bay Area with temperatures in the mid to high 80’s. My long time wonderful friend Helen and I headed to Danville for a girls day of lunching and shopping – a perfect day indeed. I had heard of a new restaurant in Danville that I thought we should try. We are always up for a new restaurant adventure. We got there and immediately had our doubts, so off we went.

One of our favorite places in Danville is café called Sideboard. It is a quaint café that has a cool and funky vibe. The warmth is from the dark hardwood floors that are well loved along with the abundance of homemade desserts in a large display cabinet. They also serve Blue Bottle Coffee which has to be the best coffee in the Bay Area. Since it is a small café, seating is a bit limited but if you time it right, just missing the lunch crowd, your pick of a great seat is at your disposal. We landed outside on the patio for perfect people watching and the warm outside breezes.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy a dining experience is to order multiple items and share. You get the best of all worlds and a variety of tastes. We ended up having a tomato fest. First we enjoyed ripe heirloom tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, basil and good olive oil was our starter. Next we had a gazpacho soup the avocado, heirloom tomatoes and it has a slight kick to it. Rounded the tomato extravaganza with grilled bread topped with pesto, ricotta and small ripe tomatoes. We had to have one “bad” thing, so we shared the famous French fries with house made blue cheese dressing.

I was inspired by our wonderful lunch and decided to have an appetizer dinner. My husband and I often have small tapas type dinners on the weekends. Gives us a chance to eat light but have a variety of dishes. I recreated the pesto, ricotta and tomato Crostini – let the tomato fest continue into the evening.

Several years ago I enjoyed the simplest yet flavorful Crostini. It was thin sliced avocado on grilled ciabatta with reduced balsamic vinegar and fleur de sel. The smokiness of the bread, creamy avocado and sweet and tangy balsamic combination is so incredibly delicious and satisfying. Each time I serve this, I end up making more since they tend to disappear quickly. 

I hope that each of you are enjoying your holiday weekend!!

Avocado and Aged Balsamic Crostini

Makes 8

4 Slices of ciabatta bread, ½ inch
Olive oil (brush bread)
2 to 3 Avocados
½ C. Balsamic vinegar
Fleur de Sel

Cut each slice of the ciabatta bread about ½ inches thick. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the olive oil over each side. Preheat an indoor grill or use outside, to medium heat. Lay each slice of the bread on the grill and using a pair of tongs, consistently monitor and flip the bread to ensure it doesn’t burn. When both sides are toasted with slight char marks, remove from the grill and let cool.

In a shallow sauté pan, add the balsamic vinegar and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the vinegar reduces to form a syrup. Be careful not to overcook or it will become hard. If so, then put back on the burner for a minute and add a touch more of the balsamic to lighten it up. Remove and set aside.

Cut each avocado in half and remove the large seed. Carefully remove the skin by taking a sharp knife and running inside to loosen the skin. Lay face down and carefully slice into thin slices and then cut in half lengthwise.

Carefully lay each slice onto the grilled bread, slightly overlapping until you reach the other side of the bread. The bottom portion may need a couple slices to fill in the gaps. Using a sharp serrated knife to cut on the diagonal and carefully drizzle the desired amount of the reduced vinegar on top of each slice. Sprinkle with fleur de sel to finish.

Pesto, Ricotta and Tomato Crostini

Makes 8

4 Slices of ciabatta bread, ½ inch
Olive oil (brush bread)
½ C. Prepared or homemade pesto
½ C. Fresh ricotta cheese
24 to 30 Small grape tomatoes cut in half
4 to 6 Basil leaves, chiffonade
Fleur de Sel

Cut each slice of the ciabatta bread about ½ inches thick. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the olive oil over each side. Preheat an indoor grill or use outside, to medium heat. Lay each slice of the bread on the grill and using a pair of tongs, consistently monitor and flip the bread to ensure it doesn’t burn. When both sides are toasted with slight char marks, remove from the grill and let cool.

Spread about 1 to 2 teaspoons of the pesto on each slice of bread, and then proceed to spread 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese on each slice. Cut in half on the diagonal each slice. Then lay about 6 of the tomato halves on each slice. Garnish with the chiffonade of the basil and sprinkle a bit of the fleur de sel on each one.

Pin It