Tuesday

crostini

the artisanal and local cheeses out there are endless and we love trying everything we can. we were inspired by this ricotta made in brooklyn and this recipe in bon appetit from andrew carmellini to try making fresh ricotta from scratch. it's so easy to make with only three ingredients and so incredible to watch come together! why have we never done this before?! so now we have this beautiful homemade cheese - what to do with it? how about a little crostini - ricotta is a great base for showcasing lots of different flavors but we chose to make an onion jam. make both of these ahead of time and assemble the crostini for a delicious & simple appetizer.

just read about an urban winery opening in brooklyn this fall - looks like fun and you can take hard hat tours while the building is under construction! excited to check out this surf art exhibit at three different galleries in chelsea - but hurry cause the show ends august 6.

Fresh Ricotta & Onion Jam Crostini

for onion jam:
2 tbs olive oil
2 cups finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs grainy mustard
1 tsp worcestershire (preferably homemade)
1 tbs brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
in a small saucepan, heat oil and saute onion until translucent, about 8 minutes. add garlic and cook 1 minute more. stir in mustard, worcestershire, sugar and vinegar and cook until slightly reduced. cool completely.

for crostini:
1 whole wheat baguette
1 cup fresh ricotta (see recipe)
salt & pepper
olive oil
1 cup onion jam
slice baguette and toast in the broiler or grill until golden brown. place a tbs of ricotta on each slice of bread, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and finish with a spoonful of onion jam. enjoy!

8 comments:

Unknown said...

The crostini looks beautifully toasted. I feel people are sometimes afraid of over-taosting. Very nice.

greenbeenfood said...

delicous - i am inspired to make crostini now.

~ Chef Louise said...

onion jam... that alone is dinner... the bread and ricotta maybe a nice glass of wine- that's fine dining

Anonymous said...

homemade worcestershire? now you got my attention ...

cheers!

Bárbara said...

wow!!!! i wish i could cook such beautiful things!! i'm such a mess :(

Liz said...

I made red onion jam recently...it is to die for!

Echo said...

Hiya - just found you, searching for onion jam. Lovely blog. I have a question about the jam - do you think it would work if put into sterilized jars and stored? Or would it be a 'use now' kinda deal? I'm hoping the ratio of acid to other stuff will keep the bugs at bay....

the purcells said...

if you just refrigerate the jam it will probably last for a few weeks but if you follow the proper canning procedures it should be fine to sit unrefrigerated for 6 to 8 months in a properly sterilized and then sealed jar.