Crostini Two Ways: Roasted Grape w/Ricotta, Thyme, and Rosemary-Honey Drizzle & Roasted Tomato w/Ricotta, Basil, and Balsamic Drizzle

Whenever I am invited to a potluck or gathering of sorts, I jump on the opportunity to make little treats for mass crowds.  Normally, my cooking is just for two; so when big crowds meet, I get excited for a big feeding frenzy!  Finger food mania, here I come…

 

I was asked to bring some crostini to a Father’s Day BBQ last weekend.  Since I couldn’t decide on just one, I got my crostini-making on with two variations: a roasted grape crostini with fresh thyme and a rosemary-honey drizzle and a roasted tomato crostini with fresh basil and a balsamic-glaze drizzle (roasted grapes are quite delicious if you haven’t tried!).  Two very different flavor profiles with two very similar cooking methods.  I like simplicity, so they both have fresh ricotta as a base, both involve roasting at the same temperature, and both involve the simple inclusion of fresh herbs and a drizzle.  Both were a hit.

As mentioned in the cooking instructions below, the spreadability (can that be used here?!) of the grapes will depend on how long you roast them… if you want them soft and saucy, roast them for a longer time; if you want them whole and still slightly crunchy, a shorter time is needed.  Truly, either way is delicious.

Same method for the tomatoes… for a saucier tomato spread, roast them longer; for a crunchier texture, roast them for less time.  I’ve designated 10 minutes as a good middle ground.  In 10 minutes, both grapes and tomatoes are fairly spreadable, but with some crunch, kept in their whole form.  That’s the beauty of making crostinis… you can really do with them what you want.  Add or omit things as you choose- and there’s certainly no need for measuring with these… make as many as you want, however you want!

As mentioned above, no measuring is needed for these tasty treats- just make as many as you want to have around… regardless of how many you make, I think you’ll wish you had more 😉

 

1 loaf good crusty bread, such as Ciabatta

olive oil, for brushing on toasts

handful of red seedless grapes

fresh thyme sprigs

sprinkle salt

drizzle of olive oil

fresh rosemary, honey, & ghee for drizzle/sauce

 

handful cherry or other small tomato variety

sprinkle of salt

drizzle of olive oil

fresh basil leaves

reduced balsamic vinegar glaze

(homemade or store-bought- Trader Joe’s has a great one for just a couple of bucks)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (same temp for both grapes and tomatoes)

Place loose grapes on a foil-lined baking sheet

Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil

Toss to coat evenly- hands work best I find 🙂

Lay 6 or 7 fresh thyme sprigs over the grapes (keep a few leaves aside for garnishing later)

Roast on the middle rack, uncovered, for about 10 minutes

This amount of time will allow for them to begin to pop and for the skin to begin to crack, but you’ll still have some crunchy whole grapes… if you prefer a softer more spreadable consistency, roast them for longer

When they are done, transfer them to a plate to cool

You can let some of the thyme leaves fall off into the grapes,

but discard the woody stem- it’s no good for eating 🙂

If you are just making these, then proceed on to the the crostini preparation; if you are making the roasted tomato crostini as well, then continue to the tomatoes…

Remove stems form whole small tomatoes

Lay tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet

(you can just clean or replace the foil used for the grapes if you made them, as well)

Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil

Toss well to coat evenly

Roast the tomatoes for about 10 minutes, just until the skins begin to crack

Again, if you want them softer, roast them longer, but I personally like the tomatoes to keep some of them in whole form, so I find 20 to be just about perfect 🙂

Once they’re cool enough to touch, slice tomatoes in half (if you are using itty bitty guys, you may not want to; however cutting them allows for the juices to release, making a good spreadable texture)

Finely chop fresh basil leaves (keep some basil aside for garnishing later)

Add to tomatoes and toss to mix

Set aside and begin preparing crostini…

Preheat your indoor or outdoor grill to high heat setting

Slice bread into thin pieces- I prefer a diagonal cut- makes longer pieces 🙂

Brush olive oil onto top each piece of bread

Lay pieces of bread onto hot grill and toast each side- grill lines always look nice, but they aren’t necessary- you will be covering them with toppings anyway

If you prefer a gluten-free crostini, you can easily use a gluten-free bread such as Udi’s, shown here 🙂

(I made both so that people could have options!)

You’ll likely need to grill the bread in batches, depending on how many you are making and the size of your grill of course… assuming you need to, just allow already-grilled slices to cool on a platter while you continue to grill remaining pieces- I find it easiest to grill them all first, then put the toppings on

Spread ricotta on each piece of toast- whether you made the grapes, the tomatoes, or are making both!

For the roasted grape crostinis, top each toast with a few grapes

Using a spoon or knife, you can spread them onto the toast if you prefer, rather than leaving them whole (this will naturally depend on how long you roasted them, as mentioned above)

Then , in small saucepan, heat a little ghee (or butter) along with a couple tablespoons or so of honey and one large rosemary sprig

Let is simmer for a couple of minutes, until saucy

When done, drizzle over the roasted grape crostinis

Then sprinkle a few fresh thyme leaves over them and done!

For the roasted tomato crostinis, top each toast with a couple of tomatoes halves, with juices & minced basil

Top each toast with a small basil leaf

Mmm mmm, don’t they look yummy already?!

Then to top them off, drizzle a light stream of reduced balsamic glaze over the crostini

You should now have some delicious crostinis ready to be eaten… enjoy!!

(Can be served at room-temp, or however you like them!)