A super tasty take on the amazing and classic combination of tomatoes, cheese and bread. Add in olive oil, basil and pine nuts, and how can you go wrong?
INGREDIENTS:
6oz good feta, crumbled
2oz ricotta (can also sub room temp cream cheese)
2/3 cup Olio Santo EVOO, divided (or your favorite classic EVOO)
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp minced shallots (1-2 shallots)
2 tsp minced garlic (1-2 cloves)
2 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar (or good red wine vinegar)
2lbs ripe heirloom or cherry tomatoes, ½-inch-diced
3 Tbsp julienned fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
20 to 25 (½-inch-thick) diagonal baguette slices, toasted (2 baguettes)
2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
To make whipped feta, place the feta and ricotta in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until the cheeses are mixed. Add 1/3 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, a pinch or two of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and process until smooth.
Combine the shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to mellow their bite. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the diced tomatoes and basil, stir gently, and set aside for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasonings before assembling.
To assemble the crostini, spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon to leave excess juice behind, scoop the tomatoes on top. Plate the crostini and scatter with the pine nuts. Sprinkle with extra basil and serve.
VARIATIONS:
Bump up the basil or garlic flavors by using Basil or Garlic EVOO instead of classic EVOO for half of the EVOO (we recommend subbing it in to mix with the tomatoes).
Get a richer, more herbaceous crostini by subbing half the EVOO for Rosemary EVOO (wonderful for pairing with rich grilled meats like steak or pork chops).
