Strawberry Balsamic Crostini
Sweet and savoury meet in this strawberry balsamic compote on toasted crostini. These make for very flavourful appetizers. Strawberries in season really shine but you can make it year round.
Servings: 18 crostini
Calories: 102kcal
Ingredients
Crostini
- 1 baguette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- sea salt for garnish
Strawberry Balsamic Compote
- 2 cups fresh strawberries rough chop berries and then measure the 2 cups (berries should be in about ⅛th size pieces)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot minced
- ½ clove garlic minced
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey can up to 2 tsps if you like sweet
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ Tbsps balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese can substitute goat cheese
- fresh basil for garnish optional but recommended
Instructions
Crostini
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice baguette in to 1" slices.
- Brush olive oil on both sides of bread slices. Lay flat on a baking sheet. Bake 15 -20 minutes just lightly coloured (not golden). Flip slices half way through.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Allow crostini to cool.
Strawberry Balsamic Compote
- While the baguette slices are in the oven, heat oil in a non stick skillet. Cook shallot about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add strawberries, thyme, cinnamon, pepper and honey. Cook over medium heat abour 5-7 minutes until berries soften and the sauce thickens.
- Add Balsamic vinegar in last 2 minutes or so. Cook sauce a bit longer to thicken a bit more. You should have a generous cup of compote.
- Let mixture come to room temperature.
Assembly
- Add a scant tablespoon of ricotta or goat cheese to the top of each crostini. See Notes. Add 1 tablespoon of strawberry compote on top.
- Garnish with fresh slivered basil if desired.
Notes
Strawberries and balsamic are a classic combo, as are strawberries and basil. They will still be delicious without basil but it is recommended.
Goat cheese will be a stronger and more savoury than using ricotta.
If using 1 cup of ricotta you will have 16 Tbsps to top the crostini. If you have more than 16 crostini use a bit less than a tablespoon to make sure you have enough to go around.
The Strawberry Balsamic Compote makes a generous cup. There are 16 Tbsps in a cup so if you have more than 16 crostini use slightly less than a tablespoon so you will have enough to go around.
Wine Pairing
A fruity Rosé would be a perfect match for this appetizer. If strawberries are one of the descriptors for it so much the better.
Alternatively a dry Provence style Rosé would pair well with the savoury notes in the strawberry balsamic reduction.
A mild Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire style would work, especially if you substituted goat cheese.
For red look for a fruity light bodied Beaujolais.
Nutrition
Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg