Party Crostini

Fun Spreads on Crusty Bread

Crostini in Italian means “little toasts”. It’s kind of like the wild fun cousin of bruschetta, as you can get real creative with what you put on your piece of bread.

Recently I purchased two cookbooks; Polpo and Venice: Four Seasons of Home Cooking by Russell Norman. Russell is known to have brought the relaxed yet chic, small plates eating style of Italy to London. He inspired me to serve a crostini platter on my 30th birthday (Lizchella)… as we also needed something to eat before a barrage of dangerous home-made cocktails.

Party Crostini Platter

• Rocket Pesto with Baby Tomatoes

• Chickpea Anchovies with Dill

• Salmon with Cream Cheese and Chives

To prepare the bread, slice the baguette into 3cm-4cm pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and toast in the oven for around 10 mins.

Rocket Pesto with Baby Tomatoes

Blend:

• 1 baguette

• Handful of rocket leaves

• 2 garlic cloves

• Parmesan cheese

• Handful of walnuts

Garnish each crostini with half a baby tomato and a drizzle of olive oil.

Chickpea Anchovies and Dill

Blend:

• 1 can of chickpeas

• 2 teaspoons of anchovy paste

• Handful of parsley

• Olive oil, pepper and salt to taste. 

Garnish with fresh dill and a drizzle of olive oil.

Salmon with Cream Cheese

Easy peasy:

Spread cream cheese + add smoked salmon on top!

Photography by Carli Teteris.