Spring Greens With Herb And Lemon Goat Cheese Crostini Recipes

HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Find a small, wide-mouth canning jar or small glass vase (3 1/2 inches in diameter by 4 inches high), just large enough to hold the two goat cheeses on top of each other with a little room to spare. Cut each cheese in half horizontally, making 2 rounds from each. (A piece of dental floss makes this easier.)
• Place half of the first disk flat in the jar, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with 1/2 teaspoon dill, 1 teaspoon basil, and a few red pepper flakes, and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Place another disk of cheese on top and repeat the seasonings, herbs, and oil. Continue with the remaining cheese disks, piling one on top of the other with oil and seasonings in between. When all the disks are stacked and seasoned, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Cover and set aside at room temperature for one hour or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Serve at room temperature with bread or crackers for people to help themselves.

RED RASPBERRY GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the baguette slices on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until slightly dried out, about 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together the chevre, chives, parsley, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl until well combined. Stir in the lemon juice to loosen the mixture so it will be easier to pipe. Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag and cut off the tip of one corner with scissors.
• Pipe the goat cheese mixture onto the crostini. Return the crostini to the oven and bake until warm, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the honey and balsamic in a small bowl.
• Place 2 raspberries on top of each crostini and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon a little of the balsamic mixture on each crostini and serve immediately.

SUMMERY GREENS & GOAT'S CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• If using broad beans, pop each bean out of its white shell. Then put the shelled beans or peas into a small blender with the garlic and a generous amount of seasoning. Pour in the olive oil and whizz together to form a smooth paste. Leave in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, loosen the paste with a little water until spreadable, then spoon some over each crostini. Crumble a little goat's cheese over each one and finish with a scattering of mint.
• For the crostini bases, cut each of the 4 baguettes into 20 slices, ½cm thick, discarding ends. Drizzle with olive oil and place under the grill. Cook for 2-3 mins until lightly golden, then turn over and cook for another 1-2 mins until golden and crisp all over. Do this in batches and store in a large, airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

CROSTINI WITH RICOTTA AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the bread slices. Grill the bread until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
• Stir the goat cheese, ricotta cheese, basil, lemon peel, and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the crostini. Arrange the toasts on a platter and serve.

SPRING GREENS WITH HERB AND LEMON GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• To make crostini:.
• 1. In a food processor (or mixing bowl with a wooden spoon) add the goat cheese, 4 teaspoons olive oil and the wine. Pulse one or two times, just to blend. The mixture should be spreadable; if too thick, add more olive oil and pulse again. Transfer mixture to bowl, and stir in salt and pepper to taste, herbs and lemon zest. Chill for 30 minutes.
• 2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baguette slices on a large baking sheet and brush lightly on both sides with remaining olive oil (using more oil as necessary). Bake for about 5 minutes on one side; turn and bake another 3 minutes on the second side. Set aside.
• To make salad:.
• 1. In a small bowl combine the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste and whisk to blend. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. (feel free to use more olive oil and vinegar if wanted).
• 2. Just before serving, add dressing to mixed greens and toss gently. Divide among 4 salad plates. Spread a nice schmear of herbed cheese on the toasted baguette slices and place 2 slices on each plate on top of the salads. Serve immediately.

HERB COATED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread slices on 2 heavy baking sheets. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the bread slices. Bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir the herbs, lemon zest, pepper, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using about 2 teaspoons of cheese for each, form the goat cheese into 1-inch diameter balls. Roll the cheese balls in the herb mixture to coat completely. Arrange the cheese balls on a platter. Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over and around the cheese balls. Serve with the crostini. Garnish with herb sprigs.
• The crostini and cheese balls can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store the crostini in an airtight container at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the cheese balls.

SPRING GREENS WITH LEMON DRESSING

Steps:

• To make the dressing, mix the garlic, lemon juice and zest, olive oil and some seasoning together. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then add the broccoli and greens, and cook for about 5 mins until tender. Drain well, then toss through the dressing and serve.

MIXED GREENS WITH GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Spread each baguette slice with 1 tablespoon goat cheese. Arrange on baking sheet, cheese side up.
• Whisk oil, vinegar and garlic in large bowl to blend. Add greens, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts; toss to combine. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad between 2 plates.
• Broil crostini just until cheese softens and begins to melt, about 1 minute. Arrange 4 crostini atop each salad.

PUMPKIN CROSTINI WITH GOAT CHEESE AND BALSAMIC GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the pumpkin hummus: In a food processor combine the garbanzo beans including the liquid from the can, tahini, pumpkin puree, lemon juice, garlic, salt and cumin. Process until combined. With the processor running, add the olive oil a little at a time until the sauce is smooth but still thick. Occasionally stop the machine to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula so everything is processed. If it looks like a paste with oil floating in it, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse again to help it emulsify. Taste, and don't be afraid to add more salt, lemon juice or cumin to your preference. Reserve.
• For the crostini: Put the butter in small skillet and turn the heat to medium. Once the butter melts, put the sage leaves in the pan and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the sage leaves from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• Cover a baking sheet with foil and place the bread slices on the sheet. Drizzle each with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until toasted but soft on the inside, about 3 minutes. Pull the crostini from the oven and carefully rub the top side of each piece with the garlic clove.
• Top each crostini with about 1 tablespoon pumpkin hummus and a fried sage leaf. Crumble some goat cheese on each, add a few pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.