My group of friends and I have a monthly wine club. It was started as a way to get a more in-depth knowledge of different wine region all over the world. The concept is simple: Pick a region, bring a wine from that region and some food.
For our first tasting, we delved into a region in Spain. I choose a simple and easy idea center around a crostini. The beauty of a crostini is that you can use whatever foods you have on hand. It can be simple or complex based on the flavor profile you want to build. I wanted to have some classic Spanish touches and some fun sweet treats to help cleanse our pallets. These crostinis were a hit! There was something for every palette and taste. In this recipe, I used Udi’s Baguettes toasted with butter in a 400-degree oven for under 10 minutes.
The next time you’re mostly a wine night, a family get-together or a holiday, give the crostini combinations below a try. Please don’t hesitate to post your own combination in the comments!
Ingredients:
Jamón & Cheese:
- Jamón or prosciutto
- Pickled red onions
- pesto
- Brie Cheese
- Baguette
Sweet Treat Palate Cleanser:
- Strawberries
- Honey
- Apple
- Brie Cheese
- Baguette
Savory Bite:
- Cherry Tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Brie Cheese
- Pesto
- Baguette
Creation of the Crostini:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. For the base of the crostini, cut the Udi’s Baguettes into 1/4th inch thick discs. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Using a basting brush, brush the butter onto the Baguettes. Place the bread in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- For the Savory Bite Crustinis, quarter the cherry tomatoes and quick chop the 2 cloves of garlic. Combine the cherry tomatoes, olive oil and garlic in a saute pan. Sautee until soft or about 7 minutes.
- Build the crostini!
Jamón & Cheese:
- Spread pesto over the bread.
- Layer brie, Jamón and pickled red onions on the bread.
- Repeat!
Sweet Treat Palate Cleanser:
- Spread the honey over the bread.
- layer strawberries, brie, and apples on the bread.
- Repeat!
Savory Bite:
- Spread pesto over the bread.
- Layer brie and tomatoes on the bread.
- Repeat!
