At some point in our culinary history bread was invented, and then humankind finally found its calling–eating things on bread. Grilled cheese, peanut butter toast, shrimp toast, bruschetta, pinxtos, pan con tomate, english muffin pizzas, beans on toast, lardo melted on crostini, Brie de Meaux smeared on baguette. People + bread + all other ingredients = a whole lot of deliciousness.
In pursuit of this destiny, Bill recently made two dinners featuring things on bread.
Cannellini Crostini
One day Bill was dreaming of cannellini beans and found a recipe to serve them on crostini with feta salsa verde. I was working late that evening and viewed a picture of my impending dinner on twitter. I was so happy to come home and find the components waiting on the kitchen counter, even though my husband had already gone off to whichever thing we do that night that I didn’t do because I worked late.
This dish is hugely flavorful. The bright flavors of the salsa sing out over the luscious, comfort-food feel of the beans and the crostini’s welcome crunch. Cannellini beans are so versatile and this recipe highlights how easy and tasty they are. Bill used the leftover smashed beans to make soup the next evening.
Comté, lardon and olives
Another evening, having just read about calzone-ish fougasse and finding some Comté in the fridge, Bill melted the cheese over olives and crisped lardon on our friend baguette. Served with some dressed greens, this was a how-can-melted-cheese-on-bread-be-so-amazing moment. The olives were key here and provided a necessary saltiness to balance the rich Comté and lardon.
I like Comté, Gruyere and all of their brethren. –Bill Gunter
Bill are you sure you weren’t meant to be a chef? Sharon this was luscious reading. 🙂
Oh yes!!!! Things on bread…my favourite. Gives me an idea for a bring a plate kind of soiree. What if everyone was to bring one or two of their favourite things on bread with enough to share. What do you reckon?
Brilliant idea! We shall make it so.