Crostini

I was having the crew over for some bocce and to pick up wine, and wanted something interesting to eat but not too time consuming for me as I had a bunch of other things to do and the creative urges were on hold while I did that stuff.

Ended up with a trio

- sun dried tomato tapenade using brine cured olives (SWMBO hates to pit these, but the flavour of these little wrinkled rascals is worth it) and capers (and I added garlic).

- mushroom - sautee whatever mushrooms you can lay your hands on (a mix of wild would be nicest) with a bunch of fresh thyme, and dress with a thyme shallot vinaigrette

- tuna and caper brandade made with potatoes, tuna, garlic, thyme (are you sensing a copmmon ingredient here) and capers

I enjoyed them all, though Jenise evidenced a liking for the tuna brandade which I had feared might be too bland.

This sort of quick food is great for casual company. Anyone else got any faves for crostini?

[Jenise]

Bill, all the crostini were excellent, but I understood without further explanation what was in the other two. The tuna was a bit more mysterious--I'd have never guessed there was potato in it, texturally it left no trace--which is what I was looking for when I asked you about the liaison. And of course it was particularly good with the two whites. But I'd like to make an overall comment that I have never made an entire meal of crostini and am in light of your example a bit embarrassed that it never occurred to me. I thought that was particularly neat, especially with the balanced vegetable component. Expect to be copied!

Thanks. The crostini are just the canvas and anything in your pantry can end up on there. It struck me that you could do things really suitable to sitting around with differet wines whether in the garden or otherwise.

I picked the tuna to go with whites, the mushrooms for either and the tomato tapenade primarily for reds, and think there was enugh variety to work out. It wasn't really a meal, just a nosh for sipping with. I'll try different things next time.

[Jenise]

I picked the tuna to go with whites, the mushrooms for either and the tomato tapenade primarily for reds, and think there was enugh variety to work out.

Exactly--I took one of the tomato-olive ones early on but then didn't eat it and reached for another tuna. Suzanne was worried that I didn't like it, and I had to say oh no I'm just saving it for the reds. But back to your choices--they were perfect. Well suited to the wines yet with a variety of strengths and textures.