Cantaloupe Crostini Recipes

MELON GAZPACHO WITH HAM CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium. Place 4 soup bowls in the freezer. Thread the chile and garlic on a skewer. Brush the chile-garlic skewer, bell pepper and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill until well marked, about 4 minutes per side. Add the bread halfway through and grill until toasted, about 2 minutes per side.
• Transfer the grilled bell pepper, onion, chile and garlic to a blender. Add 6 cups cantaloupe, the vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Puree until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the soup to a medium bowl set inside a large bowl of ice to chill. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cold, at least 10 minutes.
• While the soup chills, spread the aïoli on the grilled bread and top with the ham. Finely dice the remaining 1 cup cantaloupe. Serve the soup in the chilled bowls and top with the diced cantaloupe, parsley and a few grinds of pepper. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Serve with the ham crostini.

CANTALOUPE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Slice baguette into 1/4-inch-thick slices; brush each with olive oil. Toast on a cookie sheet at 350°F until golden brown, 10 minutes. Thinly spread cheese on crostinis. Top each with a slice of cucumber and a cube of cantaloupe.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CROSTINI WITH MELON SALSA CRUDO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut the loaf of bread in half crosswise, then cut each half lengthwise into 1-inch thick slices. Lay the slices in a single layer on baking sheets. Generously drizzle the top side of each slice with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the slices. Cook in the oven until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.
• Marinate the onions in the vinegar for 5 minutes. While the onion is marinating, peel, seed and dice the melon and place in a bowl. Add the diced melon to the onions, season with salt and stir to blend together. Add the minced parsley and stir to combine.
• Wrap the end of each crostini with a piece of prosciutto. Arrange on a platter and spoon a tablespoon of melon salsa on each and serve. Serve remaining salsa on the side.

CANNELLINI CROSTINI

Steps:

• *NOTE: A word of advice: Using roasted garlic mellowed the flavor. Using unroasted garlic will in my opinion overpower the flavor however. DO NOT use jarred roasted garlic.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the white beans, garlic, sherry vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil. Add a little bit of the cooking bean liquid if necessary to help in blending. Be careful not to add too much liquid though!
• Mash the bean mixture with a fork until very smooth. If you think it is necessary to add again a very small amount of the bean cooking liquid to help in mashing, then do so.
• Cover the bean mixture and allow to sit at least 1 hour. I recommend tasting and adjusting seasonings after standing time.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Brush each slice of bread with olive oil on both sides, and toast in the skillet until it is lightly browned on both sides; approximately 2 minutes per side. (Alternatively, you can broil the baguette slices, but you need to be [[really]] careful not to burn the bread!).
• Top each slice with some of the bean mixture.
• Arrange the crostini slices on a pretty platter. Add a sprinkle of paprika over the slices, very lightly drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top of the toasted slices, garnish artfully with the fresh parsley and a smattering of red onion rings.
• Serve immediately.
• Prep and cooking times are estimated.