All Season Appetizer: Apple Crostini
This appetizer is a family favorite. It is great for fancy-dancy dinner parties or casual backyard get-togethers and everything in between. It is a frequently requested option.
Why do we love this dish?
Perfect combination of creamy, crunchy, sweet and sour – the whole is definitely better than the sum of its parts
Easy to make
Ingredients are easy to find in your local grocery store
Works as an appetizer any time of year
Works as an appetizer before many meals (I would say any, but I can see if you are purest, you might have reservations about serving before any and all dishes)
Add a big salad and it is a dinner by itself
Goes well with both red or white wine
There are three parts to making this recipe – making the crostini, making the apple salsa and then putting it together and broiling just before serving.
You can make the crostini and the apple salsa ahead of time and assemble and broil when ready to serve.
Ingredients
Baguette (to make the crostini) olive oil (split between making the crostini and apple salsa) 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped (about 2 cups) ½ teaspoon honey 2 Tablespoons of cider vinegar (don’t substitute other vinegar) Dash of salt & pepper 2 Tablespoons finely chopped red pepper (again, keep to the red) 2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion 2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (has to be fresh, if you really hate cilantro, I guess you could use parsley but I haven’t tried it) 8 – 10 oz. Brie Cheese cut into slices which will go on the crostini (you will have to do the math to figure out how much cheese you need for each crostini.
Step One: make the crostini (up to 3 days ahead, store in airtight container)
Preheat oven to 400◦
Cut the baguette into thin (1/2”) slices
Lightly brush both sides of bread with olive oil
Arrange of a single layer on baking sheets
Bake about 2 minutes on each side. You want them crispy on the outside, but not all the way through. Let cool.
Step Two: make the apple salsa (up to 2 days ahead)
In a bowl, mix together the honey, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the apple, red bell pepper, onion, and cilantro and toss together.
Step Three: construct and cook
Preheat the broiler and put an oven rack 5” below the elements
Place the crostini on a baking sheet
Top each with a teaspoon of apple salsa
Top with a piece of cheese
Good luck getting the bread, salsa and cheese ratios to even out - I never can :)
Broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts and starts to bubble. Keep an eye on it, when it goes, it goes fast.
Serve warm, accept the compliments and gratitude of you family and friends. This recipe is adapted from: Vegetarian Appetizer: simple delicious recipes for easy entertaining by Paulette Mitchell, 2001 Chronical Book, LLC, which see got from The 510, a Minneapolis restaurant – so there you have history of this recipe as we know it.
