TasteFood

Beet Gratin with Gruyère and Thyme

Beet Gratin with Gruyère and Thyme

I am a beet convert. It took a good long time for me to reconcile their earthy taste. I gazed at beets from the sidelines, attracted to their vibrant magenta and ochre hues, cognizant of their nutrient-rich flesh, yet I shuddered at their redolence of dirt. As a cook, I wanted to love them. As a parent, I wanted to serve them. So, I willed myself to eat beets until I learned to appreciate them.  

At first, I took baby steps. I nibbled small bites. I prepared them with limes and oranges, letting the acidity of the citrus tame their earthiness. I grew bolder and roasted beets in olive oil, discovering that fire and char nicely counteracted their dirt-like flavor. My go-to beet became the golden variety, which is pleasantly mild and nuttier in taste. And, eventually, I succeeded. Now, I am a full-fledged beet eater. I order beets in restaurants, and I cook with them. Yet, while I no longer shudder at eating a completely naked beet, I continually craft recipes that embrace the beet while tempering their earthy nature.

This recipe for Beet Gratin does just that. It's unambigous in its ingredients, allowing the beets to shine through in a cast of minimal characters. The co-stars of the dish happen to have their own strength and assertiveness, helping to tone down any earthy qualities that might be lurking in each bite. Layers of beets are thinly cloaked in olive oil. Gruyère cheese is sprinkled between the beets along with fresh thyme and a trace of nutmeg. The presentation is simple and absent of any gratin goopyness. The beets release their juices while cooking, saturating the gratin with their brilliant color, while the flavors meld together. When I made this, it was so good, everyone at the table was reaching for seconds. As a cook and as a parent, I find that a very good thing.

Beet Gratin with Gruyère and Thyme

I prepared this recipe in individual ramekins. A gratin dish will also work for family style serving. Red beets, golden beets or a combination may be used. Serves 4.

Unsalted butter
4 medium-sized red beets, peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, finely grated
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Ground nutmeg
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper 

Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.) Butter 4 ramekins. Thinly slice beets with a mandoline. Arrange one layer of sliced beets in each ramekin (one slice may fit perfectly.) Lightly brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with cheese, a little thyme and a pinch of nutmeg. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat layering process until ramekins are full, pressing down lightly. Bake in oven until gratins are bubbling, cheese is golden and beets are tender, about 45 minutes. Serve warm with fresh thyme sprigs as garnish.

If you like this you might enjoy these TasteFood recipes:

  Spiced Sweet Potato Fries 

  Curried Butternut Squash Soup

  Potato Gratin

or these beet recipes from the foodblogs: 
Beet Hummus from Simply Recipes
Beet Salad from Wright Food
Pickled Beet Dip from A Veggie Venture
Chilled Corn and Golden Beet Soup from No Recipes
 

 

Tomato Confit

 

It's amazing where you discover the darnedest things: Last week I discovered a recipe for Tomato Confit in the wilderness of a national park. I was on kitchen duty for my daughter's school outing to a Bay area national seashore. Each autumn the students spend several days immersed in nature, nestled in a camp high in the hills overlooking the Pacific. Kitchen duty is a full-time volunteer position. We rise before dawn and spend the day preparing 4 meals for 80 hungry children and adults. While it's hard work, it's great fun in a spectacular setting and rewarding to make the best food possible for all. This year we hired a kitchen manager, Sebastian, an alumni of the school who currently sous-chefs at the acclaimed Napa restaurant Oenotri.  He was easily convinced to trade in his wine country chef whites and come to the beach for a few days to help out his old school.

One night for dinner we prepared an Italian themed menu which included a variety of pasta dishes. Sebastian made a tomato sauce as one of the accompaniments which consisted of heirloom cherry tomatoes, olive oil and salt. It's was simple and intense. The tomatoes cooked and broke down in a generous amount of oil for an hour or so, resulting in a thickened and rich confit. Delicious with pasta, for sure, yet extremely versatile, I wanted to experiment with the recipe and made a Tomato Confit at home this week. I made a large batch, so I could divide it up and freeze for later use. I saved one cup and used it as a topping for crostini. I think I'll use my next batch as an extra ingredient in a cheese fondue. I suspect it will be delicious - I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out.

 

Tomato Confit

Cherry tomatoes may be substituted for heirloom cherry tomatoes. Makes 4 cups.

4 pints (about 4 pounds) heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional

Combine tomatoes and olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot. Simmer over medium-low heat until tomatoes begin to break down, stirring occasionally and breaking tomatoes apart with a spoon. Continue to cook until all the tomatoes have broken down and sauce is thick, about one hour in all. Add salt and taste for seasoning. If necessary add sugar. 

Crostini with Goat Cheese and Tomato Confit:
Cut 8 - 1/2 inch slices of a baguette. Brush slices with olive oil and bake in a 400 F. oven until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Stir 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese, 1 minced garlic clove and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper together in a small bowl. Spread goat cheese on each baguette. Top with a teaspoon of tomato confit. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.

Pasta with Tomato Confit:
Bring 1 cup tomato confit, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 rosemary sprigs and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes until slightly reduced. Remove rosemary sprigs. Toss with 1 pound freshly cooked penne and 1/2 cup grated Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese.

If you like this you might enjoy these recipes from the village of foodblogs:
Fennel Lemon and Garlic Confit from the Kitchn
Red Onion Confit with Port Wine from Delicious Days
Sweet Pepper and Onion Confit from Just Bento
Chorizo Caramel Confit from Seattle Food Geek

 

 

Condiment Spotlight: Homemade Harissa

If you are looking for a condiment that multi-tasks while tasting stand-alone delicious, then look no further. I have been making this variation of harissa for years, and it's positively addicting.  

Harissa is a red pepper sauce traditionally found in North African cuisine. Used as a condiment in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, harissa is a paste of hot red peppers combined with other ingredients which vary from home to home and by region. In this version, serrano or red jalapeno chiles are blended with roasted red bell peppers which add smoky sweetness to the fiery chiles.

The beauty of harissa is its versatility. It may be used as a garnish, marinade or dip. Stir it into soups and stews or mix it with couscous and rice. Serve it as an appetizer with veggies for dipping or bread for mopping. It elevates anything it garnishes and is guaranteed to fire up your tastebuds.
  

Harissa 

The consistency of this harissa will resemble a salsa. Makes about  1 1/2 cups. 

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded, coarsely chopped
2-3 small red serrano or red jalapano chiles, stemmed, minced with seeds
3 garlic cloves
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh coriander and/or mint leaves 

Toast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and caraway seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about one minute. Transfer to a mortar with pestle or spice grinder. Grind seeds to a fine powder. Combine ground seeds, red peppers, chiles, garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil in bowl of food processor. Process until smooth, adding more olive oil, if necessary, to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper. Let sit at least one hour and up to 24 hours before serving. (Refrigerate before use.) Serve garnished with coriander or mint leaves. 

Try serving Harissa with these TasteFood recipes:

 Lamb Kefta and Vegetable Couscous






 

Moroccan Spiced Chicken under a Brick

 Pearl Couscous Salad

Heirloom Cherry Tomato Tart

Heirloom Cherry Tomato Tart
updated from the TasteFood archives, because it's on the menu tonight:

Early September brings beautiful tomatoes, their sunny colors cheerily keeping autumn at bay, reminding us that summer is not yet finished.  Sweet, juicy, sunkissed heirlooms, early girls, and cherries promise to bring a little sunshine to our dinner plates while the days grow shorter, cooler and crisper. 

This Tomato Tart is an easy, light dinner for a busy weekday night that takes advantage of the kaleidescope of cherry tomatoes falling in our gardens and showcased in the market. The tart's ease of preparation is, in part, due to the usage of store-bought frozen puff pastry dough.  I confess that as much as I try to homemake everything, homemade pastry (unless made well ahead of time and frozen) doesn't conveniently figure into a spontaneous week night meal.  Fortunately, high quality frozen pastry dough is available in many stores.  I buy mine at Whole Foods, and while the price is not cheap, I see it as a break-even when considering the cost of the ingredients and time I would need to make it myself.  However, if you do have time on your side (lucky you!) and would like to make your own pastry, one of my go-to recipes for quick puff pastry is from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Pie and Pastry Bible.  

Heirloom Cherry Tomato Tart
Serves 4 as a light meal or 6-8 as a side dish

1 sheet (11 oz./300 g.) frozen puff-pastry dough, thawed

1 1/2 pounds (750 g.) cherry tomatoes, multi-colored if possible, halved lengthwise
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram
 

Prepare tart:
Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.)

Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface.  Pierce dough all over with a fork, leaving a 1 inch border intact.  Transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking tray and refrigerate 15 minutes. 
Bake in oven until lightly golden, 12-15 minutes.  Remove from oven, but do not turn off heat.

Arrange tomato halves, cut-side up, on crust, leaving the 1" border clear. Drizzle tart with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Return to oven and bake 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.  Remove tart from oven, and transfer to serving platter.  Garnish with fresh marjoram (or basil) and serve immediately. 

For a complete rustic meal serve with a wedge of soft, runny Camembert or Taleggio cheese, thick slices of pain paysan and a salad of mixed seasonal greens. 

If you like this, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:

Tomato Bruschetta

Heirloom Tomato Tartare

 Potato, Rosemary, Garlic Pizza

 

you might also enjoy these tomato recipes from the foodblogs:
Tomato Jam from Homesick Texan
Cherry Tomato Bites from the Kitchn
Roasted Tomato and Corn Risotto from Herbivoracious
Zucchini and Tomato Gratin from Andrea Meyers

 
 

Roasted Fig Crostini

 

Oh, how I want to love figs. I am attracted to their shape and color, perfectly plump little bulbs, striated in violets and yellows, or hued in light green and dark purple. Soft and sensual to the touch and mildly aromatic, perhaps it's their mildness that confounds me. Faintly sweet, yet nutty and vegetal, I find the fig elusive in flavor, its softness shrouding it like a mysterious woman in a cloak. I know there is more to the fig, and I want to discover it. I want to love it. 

So, I found a ploy, or really a method, to reveal its secrets. By roasting figs in the oven, their taste and texture take on a whole new dimension. The fruit is coaxed from its shroud of vagueness, its natural sugars oozing and caramelizing, while its plumpness is reduced to a crispy intensity that bursts with flavor. There is no coyness or ambiguity with a roasted fig. It's sweetness and articulated flavor is a perfect match with other ingredients, such as goat cheese and basil. Try it, you'll like it. In fact, you will love it.


  

Roasted Fig Crostini

makes 8

Extra-virgin olive oil
4 figs, sliced lengthwise, 1/4" thick
8 slices of baguette, cut on the diagonal, 1/2" thick
6 ounces soft mild goat cheese
Runny honey
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 whole basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.)
Lightly oil baking tray. Arrange fig slices in one layer. Lightly brush tops with olive oil. Bake in oven until bubbly and beginning to caramelize, about 20 minutes. While figs are roasting, brush baguette slices with olive oil. Arrange on another baking tray in one layer. Bake in same oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. To assemble crostini, spread baguette slices with goat cheese. Arrange 1-2 figs over cheese in one layer. Lightly drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a basil leaf. Serve immediately.
 

If you like this, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:

 Asparagus with Crispy Prosciutto and Tarragon Aioli

Prosciutto Fig Arugula Roll-Ups with Honey

  

Figs and Greens with Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Honey Vinaigrette

  
and these fig recipes from the foodblogs:
Fresh Fig Sorbet from Ms. Adventures in Italy 
Fig Brie Grape Pizza from White on Rice Couple
Skinny Figgy Bars from Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen
Fig Cookies from Andrea Meyers

Asparagus and Prosciutto Pizza

Simplicity rules with this delicious pizza. Asparagus, prosciutto and cheese are all that's needed to create a salty, crispy, savory pizza. Cook the pizza on a hot pizza stone in the oven, or, better yet in the summer heat, cook it on the grill. To grill the pizza, place the stretched dough on an oiled grill grate. Grill briefly over medium fire, then flip the crust with a spatula or tongs. Add the toppings, cover the grill and cook until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted and bubbly. 
 

Asparagus and Prosciutto Pizza
 
Makes 2 small pizzas or 1 large pizza

Pizza dough (see below)

8 ounces buffalo mozzarella, drained, sliced
4 ounces prosciutto slices
Thin asparagus (if using thick asparagus, slice in half lengthwise)
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Pepper

Assemble pizzas: 
Place pizza crust on parchment paper. Lightly brush pizza crusts with olive oil. Arrange one layer mozzarella cheese over crusts. Top with layer of prosciutto. Arrange asparagus spears over prosciutto. Top with grated cheese. Slide crusts onto pizza stone (or on tray on lowest rack) in preheated 475 F. oven. Cook until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. 
 

For the Pizza Dough:
  
2 teaspoons dry yeast 
1/2 cup lukewarm water 
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
1/4 cup semolina flour 
1 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cups cold water 
1/4 cup olive oil 

Stir yeast and lukewarm water together in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and semolina. Mix well. Let sit until bubbly, about 30 minutes. 
Combine remaining flour and salt in another bowl. Add to yeast with cold water and olive oil. Mix well to form a dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead with hands until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Or use a mixer with a dough hook, and knead about 5 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides with oil. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. 
Punch dough down, and let rise another 45 minutes. Divide dough into 2 equal disks (or 4 if you would like small pizzas.) Let rest 30 minutes before shaping. Lightly flour a work surface. Using your fingers or heels of your hands, stretch the disks out to 10" shapes.
 

If you like this, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:

Tomato Tart

Bruschetta with Sautéed Peppers, Mozzarella and Parmesan

  

Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza

or try these delicious pizza recipes from the foodblogs:
Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza from Foodblogga
Pepperoni Pizza Puffs from Noble Pig
Three Onion Three Cheese Pizza from Farmgirl Fare
Perfect Pizzas from Hedonia

Heirloom Tomato Tartare with Balsamic Syrup

   

Presentation does make a difference - not only in terms of visual appeal, but also in taste. Heirloom Tomato Tartare takes the ingredients of a simple tomato and basil salad, and, with some dicing and stacking, results in a colorful and refined appetizer. Heirloom tomatoes of various colors are diced and combined with finely chopped kalamata olives and shallots. The confetti of tiny morsels allows for satisfying mouthfuls bursting with sweet tomato, briny olive and sharp shallot. Try it - you'll like it. 

 

In this recipe I have topped the tartare with a spoonful of creamy burrata and basil.  If you don't want to splurge on burrata, try a small wedge of buffalo mozzarella.  Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve with Balsamic Syrup. While the ingredients are the same as you will find in a Caprese Salad, the presentation is refreshingly different.

 

Heirloom Tomato Tartare with Balsamic Syrup
Serves 6

6 medium-large heirloom tomatoes, ripe but firm (choose different tomatoes for color variation)
10 Kalamata olives, pitted, diced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 buffalo mozzarella or burrata
Fresh basil leaves

Balsamic Syrup (see below)

Prepare tartare:
Cut tomatoes in half.  Remove and discard seeds, juice and ribs if mealy.  Cut in 1/4" dice.  Combine diced tomatoes, olives and shallot in a large bowl.  Add salt and pepper. 
Arrange 1/2 cup of tomatoes in a stacked circle in center of a serving plate. Cut mozzarella in half and divide each half into 3 wedges.  Gently place wedge on top of tomatoes. If using burrata, carefully pull apart a small portion of the cheese, without too much liquid, and arrange on top of tomatoes.  
Drizzle tomatoes and cheese with olive oil. Garnish with a basil leaf.  Serve with balsamic syrup either drizzled on the plate around the tomatoes, or in a small cup to the side.

 
Balsamic Syrup:
 
Bring one cup every-day quality balsamic syrup to a boil (don't use the fancy one).  Simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 


If you like this recipe, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:
Crostini with Honey Roasted Figs, Mozzarella and Prosciutto Crisps
Crostini Caprese - Crostini with Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil
Grilled Feta with Blood Orange, Red Pepper and Mint Salsa 

or these recipes with tomatoes from the foodblogs:
Heirloom Tomato and Quinoa Galette from Canelle et Vanille
Heirloom Tomato Sauce from Hedonia
Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho from House of Annie

 

   

Tomato Bruschetta, Italy and the World Cup

It's World Cup Football Championship time again. For those of you not in touch with this sporting rite, it is THE international football championship that takes place worldwide every four years. Don't get me wrong. I hardly watch football (that's soccer for you Americans). But, I am, after all, married to a Dane and lived many years in Europe where if you are not following at least a teensy bit of football in the news or on the television, you are living in a shoebox. 

The World Cup also makes me think of Italy, where we often vacationed when we lived in Europe. Four years ago we were doing just that when the Italians won the last championship. What an impression that made. We were in Rome when the quarterfinals took place. As tourists, we naively ventured into the city for dinner during the quarterfinals match. While the restaurants were open, they were sparsely populated - and only with wayward tourists such as us. The staff were, to say the least, distracted, hovering over radios or watching small televisions in the kitchens or at the bar. We quickly deduced that we might as well just settle back and root for our new favorite football team without being overly critical about erratic table service. After our meal we knew there was no hope in finding a taxi driver to bring us back to our hotel until after the match. So, we wandered into another restaurant with a lounge and cheered on Italy as they won. From that moment on the streets came alive with revelers, cars honking, sirens blaring. This continued well into the night, long after we had gone to bed. It was just the quarterfinals. 

The semi-finals took place after we left Rome for Tuscany, where we shared a villa with some friends near Montepulciano. The afternoon of the match, we wandered the crooked, narrow streets of the medieval village and came upon the town square, or Piazza. An enormous screen was being erected against a building façade while rows of folding chairs filled the open space, encircling the fountain to create an outdoor theater. It made me think of the film Cinema Paradiso. No worries if you didn't own a television - all the villagers would gather that evening and watch the football match together, cheering on their team.

The finals played on one of our last nights in Italy. We had moved to the Isle of Elba and were staying in at the lovely Villa Ottone. The staff was professional and proper, the clientelle was well-heeled and dignified. So, imagine the night of the finals, in the middle of the first dinner service, when a tuxedoed maître d' wheeled a television into the center of the dining terrace. As if on cue, all protocol was suspended. Waiters, busboys and hotel staff gathered around the television. Diners pulled up their chairs, balancing dinner plates on their laps. The French tourists cheered on France. The Italian tourists and staff cheered on the Italians. We were all caught up in a passionate TV dinner for the next 2 hours. When we finished eating we crowded into the bar, squeezing into sofas, balancing on the arms of chairs, sitting cross-legged on the floor, elbow to elbow with our fellow football fans. A Swedish photographer bought us a round of drinks. We reciprocated and bought drinks for the French couple sitting at our feet. The bartender invited our children to perch on the bar and gave them free sodas. Together we cheered and booed as Italy won the world cup. What an equalizer. Who said that English is the international language?

This year the World Cup takes place in South Africa. But I cannot help but think of Italy whenever it takes place. If I had to create something to eat while watching a football match it would be these Tomato Bruschetta. 

Tomato Bruschetta
Makes 8

For the tomatoes:
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in 1/4" pieces or quartered if small
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the bread:
8 slices levain or peasant bread, cut 1/2" thick
1 large garlic clove, lightly smashed but still intact
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt

1/2 cup basil leaves, shredded plus whole leaves for garnish

Prepare the tomatoes:
Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and toss to combine. Taste to adjust seasoning. Let sit at room temperature while bread is prepared.

Prepare the bread:
Preheat oven grill or griddle pan. Rub bread on both sides with garlic. Brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over bread. Grill, turning once, until both sides are golden. 

Arrange bread in one layer on a platter. Stir shredded basil into the tomatoes. Top bread with tomatoes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.

 

   

Roasted Asparagus Crostini with Pecorino Cheese and Truffle Oil

  
Recently I wrote about how much I like rustic desserts. Let me clarify that. I like rustic food. What is rustic food? It's simple, local, seasonal food that makes use of available ingredients. Rustic cooking is a reflection of the countryside. It's comforting and inviting, and it's economical. 

While crostini may conjure up images of dinner parties, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, they are quite grounded in rustic cooking. Bread that is no longer fresh, is lightly toasted and flavored with olive oil and garlic. The toppings can run the gamut, but are usually fresh, simple and composed with ingredients on hand. 

Roasted Asparagus Crostini with Pecorino Cheese and Truffle Oil were created as an impromptu starter for a barbecue this weekend. Day old baguette was efficiently put to use, while the asparagus were fresh from the morning's farmers market. Pecorino Toscano and a little truffle oil were fished from the refrigerator and were the necessary finishing touches for this rustic and delicious appetizer.

Roasted Asparagus Crostini with Pecorino Cheese and Truffle Oil

Makes 16

16 baguette slices, cut 1/4" thick
2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
Extra-virgin olive oil
 
8 asparagus spears, bottoms trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon truffle oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1/4 cup shaved mild Pecorino cheese (Pecorino Toscano)

Prepare crostini:
Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C). Rub baguette slices with garlic. Lightly brush with olive oil. Arrange on baking sheet and bake until golden brown. Remove and cool.

Prepare asparagus:
Toss asparagus with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange in one layer on baking sheet. Roast under oven broiler until bright green and slightly charred but still firm, 3-4 minutes. Remove. When cool enough to handle cut horizontally in thin slices. If stalks are thick, slice in half lengthwise and cut halves in thin slices. Transfer to a bowl and toss asparagus with truffle oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Top crostini with asparagus. Top asparagus with pecorino cheese. Serve.

If you like this recipe, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:

Crostini with Ramps and Pea Shoots

 

Crostini with Honey Roasted Figs, Mozzarella and Prosciutto Crisps

Bruschetta with Mixed Spring Greens, Lemon and Ricotta Salata

 or these delicious crostini recipes from the foodblogs:
 
Crostini with Spanish Green Olive Tapenade from Herbivoracious
Caramelized Onion Crostini from For the Love of Cooking
Egg Radish Crostini from The Dinner Files
Bacon Avocado Tomato Crostini from Inspired Taste 

More Ramps: Crostini with Sautéed Ramps

 
More ramps? Yes, please. Ramp season is fleeting, so now is the time to take advantage of these baby leeks by the bunch.  Tiny and fragile they may be, but do not underestimate these delicate onions - they pack a punch in the flavor department. Their unique flavor is a cross between a green onion and garlic. Eaten raw, ramps are sharp and pungent, making a distinct impression in salads, pestos, gremolatas or simply as a garnish. Cooking ramps will result in a kinder gentler version of themselves, coaxing out their natural sweetness and softening their shape into slippery ribbons with the added character of a little char. 

Crostini with Sautéed Ramps is one of my favorite ways to showcase seasonal food: minimally, with few adorning ingredients thus allowing the flavors of the key ingredient to shine through. In this case, baguette slices are browned in olive oil in a skillet. Ramps are added to the same skillet and sautéed until tender and golden brown, then heaped over mild and creamy buffalo mozzarella. A chiffonade of ramp leaves serves as an efficient garnish along with a simple pinch of sea salt. What you see is what you get: One skillet and 3 ingredients create a sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy mouthful that will send you to the market for more ramps. Hurry, though, the season is short.

Crostini with Sautéed Ramps
Makes 8

Extra-virgin olive oil
8 - 1/2" thick slices baguette
8 ramps, ends trimmed, leaves trimmed and reserved
sea salt
1 ball buffalo mozzarella (approx. 8 ounces) room temperature, cut in half, each half cut in 4 slices

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Arrange baguette slices in one layer. Cook until golden brown on both sides; remove. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet. Add ramps; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Sauté until golden brown and soft. Remove from heat. Slice ramps in half lengthwise. 
Take 4 reserved ramp leaves and stack on top of one another. Roll up lengthwise. Cut horizontally in thin strips. Arrange crostini on a serving plate. Place a mozzarella slice on crostini. Top with ramps. Garnish with ramp leaf chiffonade. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.