Last weekend, Mike and I attended an appetizer and dessert potluck. As so often happens at such events, the list of people who had signed up for dessert far exceeded those who had signed up for appetizers. It's easy to see why: desserts are just more fun. You get to lick the bowl, your house smells like chocolate, and everyone raves about how delicious your mini cupcakes tasted. Veggie trays don't get that kind of love.
Nevertheless, the organizers wanted a balanced offering, so I put my name down on the appetizer list. All of the obvious choices were already spoken for: the obligatory veggie tray, a couple fruit salads, shrimp with cocktail sauce, hummus, chips and salsa, even deviled eggs. I decided to attempt some sort of crostini, because I am a big fan of Chopped and that seems to be the chefs' go-to appetizer idea. Since our gathering included a disproportionate number of vegetarians, I wanted to go meatless. A very helpful list of quick vegetarian appetizers on Martha Stewart's website included this recipe for Tomato-Avocado Toasts. My adaption is below--since I ended up using more avocado than tomato, and because crostini is a way cooler word than toast, I christened my version Avocado Tomato Crostini. And to my delight, they disappeared even faster from the buffet table than the chocolate Bundt cake laced with Bailey's.
Adapted from Tomato-Avocado Toasts, Everyday Food, June 2005
Yield: about 24 crostini
Ingredients:
- 1 large loaf of French bread, cut diagonally into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
- 2 avocados
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly brush both sides of each slice of bread with olive oil. Place bread on baking sheets and bake until golden and toasted, about eight minutes.
Meanwhile, halve the avocados, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out into a small bowl. Mash with a fork; stir in lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
Spread avocado on the toasted bread and top with tomatoes.
