When I think of crostini, I immediately think of Italy, a place I really want to visit, and its popular flavors of garlic, butter, basil and tomatoes. Yum! However, crostini does not need to be emphatically Italian-like. In fact it can be a mix of other flavors and textures like bright and savory, of crunchy and smooth, of tart and mild. I was given the opportunity to get creative with Montmorency tart cherries for a series of recipes and roasted cherry and ricotta crostini is my first creation.
During a meal out with family this summer, I was reacquainted with the gloriousness of smooth ricotta on toasted baguettes. It was life altering. It got me thinking about ways to modify it (so I can eat it all the time). The bright flavor of the tart cherries seemed kismet. Tart cherries are one of the boldest fruits you can find. Bright in color (red!!) with a characteristic taste, these super fruits are available year-round in dried, frozen, juice and concentrate forms. And awesomely, they are predominately grown in the U.S. Roasting the tart cherries with a bit of sugar softened them and created a lovely sauce. It’s fantastic actually. Thick and smooth and should be used to top everything. The tart cherries keep the crostini from being brain buzzingly saccharine.
Once the roasted cherries are finished, get the assembly line ready to prep the crostini. I paired the tart cherries, ricotta and toasted baguette with crushed pistachios for color and crunch, orange zest for brightness and sea salt to top. And then eat. It’s amazing how quickly a baguette can disappear. My advice: get more than one loaf.
Ingredients
- -2 cups pitted tart cherries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
- -1/2 cup sugar
- -2 tsp cornstarch
- -baguette, baked and sliced
- -butter
- -ricotta cheese
- -pistachios, shelled and crushed
- -orange zest
- -sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a 9x9 inch baking dish, toss together the cherries, sugar and cornstarch.
- Roast in 400F oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until the juices are thick and bubbly. Stir every 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely and chill in the refrigerator until ready.
- Butter one side of the baguette slices and toast under the broiler. Repeat on other side.
- To assemble, spread the ricotta on each slice, top with roasted cherries, sprinkle with crushed pistachios, orange zest and sea salt.
This post is in partnership with Cherry Marketing Institute and ChooseCherries.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
