roasted pear and whipped ricotta crostini with apple thyme honey
Call toast toast and people shrug from images of buttered rye on their diner plate. Call toast crostini and suddenly all the snazzy folk stampede into your establishment. Such is the nature of selective terminology.
I’ll tell you, whipping a soft cheese is a glorious find I made somewhat recently. Goat, feta, and now ricotta, all perfectly pillowy from a whirl in the food processor. My whipped feta dressing in the Greek Salmon Caesar Salad rendered me a madwoman when my jar ran dry.
Today, we’re spinning ricotta and spreading it on crunchy baguette, a bed above which lies sweet and salty roasted pears and a finishing spritz of apple thyme honey and blue cheese. Don’t like blue cheese? Leave it off – the ricotta is truly the imperative element, but the muskiness of a good blue cheese really finishes off the autumnal landscape of this bright appetizer.
A Pair of Pears
Start with two pears. A pair. Don’t pare them, though – rather, carve out the core and quarter them.
Toss the pair of pears in olive oil, honey, bourbon (if you’d like, I think it helps the pears caramelize beautifully), cinnamon, cayenne, and a dab of salt and pepper. Lay them on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through, until golden.
Turn the broiler to high. Slice a baguette into 8 toasts. Brush the flat side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toast for 3-4 minutes until golden. Watch the shit out of it to prevent a charred mass of carbohydrate chains.
Then, find your food processor among your mass of kitchen appliances and dump in a tub of whole milk ricotta. Whip with a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy. This should only take a minute.
I’ve Got the Blues
Blue cheese, that is.
Once you’ve roasted the pears, toasted the baguette, and whip-oasted the ricotta – okay, that’s not a word, I was forcing a rhyme – it’s time to put the crostini together.
First, spread a good layer of ricotta on the bread.
Then, daintily top with a couple pair slices.
Drizzle with the apple thyme honey.
Sprinkle with blue cheese and some more thyme, and a touch of flaky salt.
Eat.
A few little notes…
For one, if you don’t have or like thyme, rosemary and sage are beautiful substitutions to stir into the honey. Good bet you have some rosemary left from the stuffed salmon roast.
Can’t get your hands on ricotta? Goat cheese and feta work fine, but keep in mind the saltiness will increase and the goat cheese especially lends a stronger flavor. You could even spread some brie atop the toasts, but don’t try to whip it. Just slice some pieces and lay them flat, then proceed with the remainder of assembly.
Apples can be easily swapped out for pears as well.
See, lots of subtractions and additions and alterations. Whatever will help you and the guests enjoy the spread, by all means.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Check out the rest of the FMG 2021 Thanksgiving Menu & Guide here!
Ingredients
- 2 large pears, quartered
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp bourbon (optional)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 french baguette
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- 2 oz blue cheese (optional)
apple thyme honey
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- pinch flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Toss the pears with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, honey, bourbon (if using), cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread onto the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes until softened and golden, turning the pears over halfway through baking time. Remove from the oven. Switch the broiler to high.
- Slice a baguette into eight crostini (or more, if you want smaller toasts). Brush the flat sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set on an unlined baking sheet and broil 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Watch closely.
- In a food processor, whip the ricotta with a pinch of salt until smooth.
- To make the apple thyme honey, combine the honey, fresh thyme, and cider vinegar in a small bowl or jar until the three are nicely incorporated.
- To assemble the crostini, dollop the whipped ricotta onto the toasted bread. Add a pear quarter to each. Drizzle with the honey, leaving the rest on the side for serving, and sprinkle with blue cheese, if using.
