Following Polenta Pizza with Crumbled Sage, we keep oven at work with this second recipe from One Good Dish, 'the pleasures of a simple meal' (Artisan Books, October 2013) by David Tanis.
Gorgonzola and Walnut Crostini
Serves 4 to 6
Crostini is the Italian way to say toasts. They differ somewhat from bruschette, but it’s a fine point. Perhaps they are more similar to canapés, yet a bit rustic—they could be cousins. An assortment of several kinds of crostini makes an attractive first course, and they’re also great at a party. In Tuscany, chicken liver crostini are famously delicious, as are toasts spread with warm mashed white beans. Paired with a glass of wine, they can be a light meal. These crostini with sweet Gorgonzola, rosemary, caramelized onions, and walnuts are served hot from the oven—a sort of open-faced cheesy Italian rarebit.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced ¼ inch thick
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
Six ¾-inch-thick slices rustic whole-grain bread or ciabatta
3 ounces Gorgonzola dolce
18 to 24 walnut halves
1. Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, turning frequently, until softened. Season generously with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Add the rosemary and transfer to a bowl to cool.
2. Heat the oven to 400°F, with a rack in the upper third. Put the bread on a baking sheet in one layer. Bake for about 5 minutes, until lightly toasted. Turn over the slices and toast again briefly.
3. Top each toast with about ½ ounce Gorgonzola, then top with some of the onions and 3 or 4 walnut halves. Bake until bubbling and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Cut into wedges if desired.
“Excerpted from One Good Dish by David Tanis (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2013. Photographs by Gentl & Hyers."