hello lovely friends, how are you? it is friday… it’s the end of the week as we know it… now i am just singing that song… but that is because i really love fridays! so… what do you wish for today? let me guess… friday… next to saturday… weekend… we have more time, for us, our family, our friends… and what do we do when we are together with our families & friends? we eat. and for that to happen… someone has to cook! and today i shall present you with a fabulous recipe… i could drool right now, because being portuguese, our cooking is mediterranean, so this kind of recipes are so tasty for us! but i shall talk no more and share that recipe with you!
who shall be the cook today? sylvie from gourmande in the kitchen. she speaks french, her favourite flavor for ice-cream is caramel, she can’t stand bananas, she gets cold easily and tried to make us believe she was allergic to chocolate… and then she does {this}, and she is my lovely friend sylvie.
{gourmande in the kitchen via flickr}
what is the recipe?
sundried tomato, olive and goat cheese crostini
note from the cook: crostini are little toasts that are piled with various toppings, such as vegetables, spreads, and cheeses. my version here is comprised of a chunky sundried tomato and olive tapenade that is piled on top of crunchy bread slices that have been slathered with a creamy goat cheese spread. this is a quick and easy recipe that can be made at the last minute from ingredients you probably already have in your own pantry. Serve it as an appetizer for a dinner party or as light lunch with a green salad on the side.
ingredients:
¾ cup roughly chopped, drained oil-packed sundried tomatoes
1 cup roughly chopped, pitted black Kalamata olives
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
1/4 cup drained and well rinsed capers
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf of Whole Grain bread or 1 French Baguette cut into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
¼ cup or more of extra virgin olive oil (enough to thinly brush the bread slices)
One 8 oz log of mild fresh (not aged) goat cheese, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons of milk (any kind), or more as needed
how do we cook it?
preheat oven to 400°. combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush with the olive oil.
{bread & olives}
{bread, olives & goat cheese}
bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. remove toast slices from oven and cool 2 minutes.
{crostini with dried tomato, olive & goat cheese}
mix together the goat cheese and two tablespoons of milk, add more milk if necessary until a creamy spreadable consistency has been achieved. spread the goat cheese mixture thinly on one side of each toast and top with the sundried tomato and olive mixture. drizzle with extra olive oil if desired and serve.
{call your family & friends… & delight yourselves}
sweet sylvie also shared one more thing with us…
dear kitchen…
“thank you for being a constant source of comfort and inspiration in my life. you are the place i come to fuel my creativity and lift my spirits. thank you for filling my childhood summers with wonderful memories: preparing jam with fragrant freshly picked wild blackberries and raspberries, thinly slicing apples for my grandmother’s always perfectly arranged apple tart, biting into the crusty end (le crouton) of a still warm baguette and spoiling my appetite! you were and are always the center of daily life. when i think of you {dear kitchen} i remember these experiences, the food we have made together and the people i love.”
and this was our recipe for today… i am willing to cook this because this is my kind of starters!
but do not go yet… do you have a thing for moroccan food?
here is a good sneak-peek at moroccan recipes from {traveling mama}, my sweet friend tina is sharing a bit of her experience while she and her family lived in morocco. i am definitely going to try it!
and this was it for today as in recipes, of course! there is still one more thing to go on our weekend… and that thing is… the last interview on {blogging… by bloggers}! in just a while, do not miss the last one by… ez from {creature comforts}!
twiggs
Traveling Mama says
My mouth is watering! My family is Greek so this recipe is just my style! Thanks for the mention too! You'll have to let me know how it turns out! Stay dry and have a happy weekend, my friend!
Sylvie - Gourmande in the Kitchen says
Thank you so much for featuring my recipe and photography on your blog. I am honored. You are such a sweet and wonderful friend. Have a beautiful weekend, and enjoy some good food with family and friends!
Vanille says
If I could, I'd have these crostini with an aperitif… Delicious !
{twiggs} says
hello!!! thank you so much for coming over… i could almost serve you with this delicious recipe! :)
oh tina, i am afraid but i won't be able to cook the couscous this weekend, maybe during the week! ;) am excited though!
thank you sylvie, this was a real treat!!
thank you vanille! ;) it is a pleasure to have you on my blog!
have a great weekend!
twiggs