Crostini
I mentioned in my last post that we went camping last weekend. It was a ton of work to get my family ready for two days of tent camping, but it was totally worth it. I could have just grabbed burgers and dogs, PB&J and a box of cereal… but NO, I can’t do that. I enjoy food too much to pass up the opportunity to make fun camping food. We arrived mid afternoon, set up our gear, and then sat down to relax with a glass of wine and some appetizers. Other friends were camping nearby, so we visited each other’s sites and shared grub. These crostini are SO simple to make. I used the recipe for Pea and Garlic Dip in Gale Gand’s new cookbook, “Gale Gand’s Lunch!” It can be used as a sandwich spread with turkey, or you can spread it on baguette and top with beef tenderloin, smoked salmon or shrimp (I opted for prosciutto). This is an appetizer recipe I will use again and again (and truth be told- I bookmarked a ton of other recipes in the book too!
Frozen (thawed) peas are mixed in a food processor with mint leaves, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil- that’s it!! It’s absolutely perfect for making ahead and assembling later (like at the campground).
Here’s my husband Brian (rare appearance!) Yes, he’s always this happy. He’s a life-of-the-party kind of guy! He loved my little appetizer, and the rest of our friends were intrigued with the recipe too. I know you know crostini recipes, and they’re not really the sort of thing you bring on a camping trip, but it seriously was SO easy to make and assemble. I just spooned the filling into a ziploc baggie, had the bread cut ahead of time and brought a package of prosciutto. It was really nice to have something a little gourmet to munch on our first night there.
Pretty crostini, aren’t they? I really think they’d make a pretty appetizer for a summer barbecue, but I’m also thinking of Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day too 🙂 As for the taste… I couldn’t stop eating them. The pea dip has a hint of garlic and mint, and it is delicious paired with the salty prosciutto. I didn’t bother to toast the baguette slices. They were plenty good without toasting. One word of warning » you may be accused of “glamping” (glamorous camping) if you take these appetizers camping. They’re a little fancy for that, but they’re so worth it!
Here are a few more crostini recipes you might enjoy:
Crostini with Gorgonzola, Caramelized Onions and Fig Jam Greek Crostini Crostini with Clams Cheese Crostini with Prosciutto
