Ant & Anise

Simple, elegant, healthy food and a fondness for gluten- and grain-free recipes

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Arugula salad with pomegranate, feta and walnuts

It takes a little effort to get the pomegranate seeds out, but it's well worth it.

What a crazy couple of weeks in late December. Like you said, Eve, much of it was happy and festive. But having Mom in hospital for almost a week with pneumonia over the holidays shook me up, maybe more than it should have.

Sitting with her in the hospital around lunchtime on Christmas Day was the worst part. Not because her condition had deteriorated. The antibiotics had started to work and she was getting better, well enough to be leaving the hospital in a few days if her progress continued.

For me it was that although she’d dodge this pneumonia, she won’t ever be herself again. Nothing like she was before Alzheimer’s struck. This isn’t news, of course. She hasn’t been herself for years, to the point that I doubt she knows who any of us are anymore.

I thought back to Christmases when I was growing up, when Mom was such a force. The one who was busy for weeks with shopping, baking, staying up late wrapping presents. She pulled everything together to ensure that we enjoyed Christmas, whether we were ripping open the carefully wrapped presents under the tree or tucking in to a feast of well-loved dishes that we had only once a year.

This Christmas Day, when I sat with her listening to Elvis’ Christmas Album (she always loved Elvis) and trying to get her to eat, I felt extra sad about all we had lost over the past several years.

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Roasted Blackberry and Brie Crostini

blackberry bush

I have no doubt it will be a good year for blackberries. We’ve had a stretch of warm weather that’s extended out for several weeks, to the point that I almost can’t remember the last time it rained in Vancouver. Almost.

Even with all the sun and heat, though, blackberries do take their time to ripen. It’s mid-August already, but over the weekend the two spots that Bob scoped out for picking had bushes mostly full of hard, light red berries that won’t be ready for at least another week.

There were a few juicy ones, though, the kind that practically fall off into your fingers when you give them a gentle tug.

We had to be selective, not only because of the few really ripe berries. For some reason, we both were wearing too few clothes to venture too far into the prickly bushes. (Shorts and a tank top for picking blackberries, and Bob shirtless? What were we thinking?)

In our defense, it was a very hot afternoon. And it was our first time out this season. More of a blackberry reconnaissance mission, since we weren’t sure what state the berries would be in once we got up close. We’ll know better next time, or at least we’ll bring some long sticks to push away the prickly shoots.

roasted blackberries

At the risk of duplicating your triple cream brie and honey dessert too closely, Eve, I experimented with an appetizer of roasted blackberries, lightly melted brie and toasted crostini. So we could have blackberries before and after dinner. It makes perfect sense in August, doesn’t it?

The roasted berries have a savory twist — a splash of olive oil and some salt and pepper before you roast them. (I love a sweet-salty flavor combination. The ripe, sweet berries together with the salt were rather moreish, as Bob would say.) Aahhhh, summer.

roasted blackberry and brie crostini

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Roasted Blackberry and Brie Crostini

Yield: 24 crostini

A savory twist on blackberries, this cheesy fruity crostini is a delicious start a summer evening. Even better with a glass of crisp rose wine.

Ingredients

  • 1 baguette, sliced 1/4 inch thick into 24 pieces
  • 6-8 ounces brie cheese, cut evenly into 24 pieces
  • 48-60 blackberries
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

    For the crostini:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Slice baguette into 1/4 inch slices and place on an unlined baking sheet. Bake until tops are lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Turn crostini over and bake until lightly browned, another 3-4 minutes. Move crostini to a cooling rack and let cool.
    3. For the roasted blackberries:
  3. Place blackberries on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 5-8 minutes, or until just warmed through. (Keep an eye on them so they don't get too soft or start to burn!)
    4. When you're ready to serve:
  4. Set your oven to broil. Place the crostini on an unlined baking sheet. Top each with one slice of the brie and broil until the brie is slightly melted. Remove from oven. Top each crostini with 2-3 roasted blackberries and serve immediately.

Mini Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onion Crostini with Pear

mini gorgonzola and caramelized onion crostini with pear

Ant,
These were delicious. And festive too, a fitting complement to the bubbly we started the evening with.

One thing I particularly liked was that the gorgonzola, caramelized onion and pear crostini were impressive, yet simple. Once the onions are done, assembly is quick and (bonus points!) can be done ahead of time.

Something we talked about at Thanksgiving dinner (or was it before?) was that the ingredients in dishes we like best have two things in common: There are only a few of them, and they’re good quality. This crostini fits the bill on both counts.

If I were making these crostini, I’d make three changes to your recipe:

  • Thyme instead of rosemary in the onions (with some sprinkled on top just before serving).
  • A denser bread that’s cut in thinner pieces so you get a crispier base. The fig and anise demi-loaf from Terra Breads was a particularly good complement to the onions and cheese.
  • Finally, I’d use Gorgonzola rather than Gorgonzola Dolce. It’s firmer, so it can be sliced instead of spread.

For presentation, I’d make them bite-sized. Slices from the demi-loaf were perfect when cut in half. It’s true, I love small canapés! Makes for easier eating if you’re mingling with your cocktail too. So, mini gorgonzola and carmelized onion crostini with pear it is!

gorgonzola caramelized onion and pear crostini ingredients

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Mini Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onion Crostini with Pear

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • pinch sugar
  • cracked black pepper
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon thyme, divided
  • 24 slices fig and anise bread, or a dense sourdough bread
  • 3-1/2 to 4 ounces gorgonzola, sliced
  • 1 pear, sliced

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add onions, salt, sugar and pepper and cook for 16-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned. Remove from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon thyme and let cool. Makes about 1-1/2 cups. (This is a little more than you will need, but it keeps well and makes a delicious addition to sandwiches or flatbread. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.)
  2. Preheat your broiler to high. Cut the bread into 24 pieces about 1/8” thick and 2” around. Place pieces on a baking sheet and toast each side until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
  3. Set the oven to 350F. Slice the gorgonzola into 24 pieces about 1/8” thick. Top each crostini with about 1 tsp of caramelized onion and a slice of cheese, and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  4. While the crostini are in the oven, slice the pear into 24 pieces about 1/8” thick and 1 1/2” around. Once the crostini are out of the oven, top each one with a slice of pear and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp thyme. Serve immediately . . . and wait for the kudos to pour in.

 

Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onions with Pear: Big or Small?

finalcrostiniDear Anise,

Here’s the recipe for the appetizer I brought to Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve made it twice since then, each time to rave reviews.

I’m always on the lookout for party food that has substantial protein – something to sop up the alcohol. Not only is this one fast and easy, at least once the caramelized onions are made,  you can make it ahead, and just do the baking and topping with pears at the end.

This makes 24 pieces, which should easily serve eight. The original recipe called for rosemary, but I used variegated oregano, because what’s on my back deck and still green. With two pounds of onions, I ended up with 2/3 of a cup left over. I know I should change that quantity to a pound and a half,  but leftover caramelized onions are such a bonus I can’t bear to do it. Gorgonzola Dolce is milder, sweeter and much softer than regular gorgonzola.

Print
Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onions Crostini with Pear

Yield: 24 crostini

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds onions, about four medium, sliced 1/8-inch thick (a mandolin does it best)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano
  • 1 4-inch wide baguette (14 oz/400 g)
  • 8 ounces Gorgonzola dolce
  • 1 large ripe pear
  • Fresh oregano for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and brown, turning frequently. When it begins to soften, season generously with salt and pepper; reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes, until nicely caramelized. Add the rosemary and transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.
  2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the bread in the toaster until lightly browned, then lay the slices on a baking sheet. Spread about an ounce of Gorgonzola on each toast, then top with a tablespoon of the onion mixture.
  3. Bake on the top shelf of the oven until bubbling and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. While the crostini bake, halve the pears, take out the cores - preferably with a melon baller - and slice horizontally into thin slices.
  5. Top the crostini with pear slices, then cut each one into three pieces. Serve immediately.

bigcrostini

So here’s the question: remember I came with the caramelized onions and gorgonzola already spread on the toasted baguette?  I’d made the sections of baguette big enough that once they were baked and topped with pears, I could cut them into smaller pieces, maybe four per slice, because it was faster.

You said you’d have made mini ones – citing your well-known love of tiny food.

Want to mess with the recipe? What do you think would be the optimum bread?

How would you rewrite the recipe for  a mini-mini crostini?

More on Gorgonzola Crostini?

Mini Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onions with Pear