A dark wood serving board laid with strawberry crostini
Photography, Stephen Harris

White Balsamic Strawberry Crostini

An easy appetizer to put on rotation all summer long.

This crowd-pleasing crostini recipe comes from the Farmers and Fishers of Prince Edward Island. Grilled bread slices are spread with cool ricotta, then topped with a sweet vanilla-balsamic strawberry mixture. They’ll be all gone in no time.

A dark wood serving board laid with strawberry crostini

White Balsamic Vanilla Strawberry Crostini

A super-simple recipe for strawberry crostini featuring whole-milk ricotta, white balsamic and vanilla.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes
Course Appetizer, Hors d'oeuvres, Snack
Cuisine Canadian, Italian
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb strawberries hulled and quartered
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla paste)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 baguette sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • cups whole-milk ricotta
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • extra-virgin olive oil for finishing
  • ½ cup basil or mint leaves for garnish

Instructions
 

  • In a medium-sized bowl, mix together strawberries, sugar, white balsamic and vanilla bean seeds and pod; season with a pinch of salt. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature until juices are released. This can be made up to 4 hours in advance.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Place baguette slices on a baking tray. Brush both sides of each slice lightly with olive oil. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Let cool.
  • To assemble, spread each bread slice with a tablespoon of ricotta, then spoon on a few strawberries and their juice. Sprinkle over pepper, drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with fresh basil or mint leaves.
  • Prepared crostini should be enjoyed as soon as they are prepared. Do not make in advance, as they will become soggy. All the other ingredients can be prepared in advance and then assembled when ready to serve.
Keyword appetizer, strawberries, summer appetizer, white balsamic

A cookbook cover in a light frame.

Excerpted from Canada’s Food Island: A Collection of Stories and Recipes from Prince Edward Island by Farmers and Fishers of Prince Edward Island. Photography by Stephen Harris. Stories and captions by Stuart Hickox. Copyright © 2022 by Lobster Fishers of PEI. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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