Veggie Toasts & a Guest Blogger!

This post is directly from the heart, soul, and typed fingers of my culinary, smart, sweet sister-in-law, Rachel.  She and my brother came down from NY a couple of weekends ago, and they walked through the door with bags tumbling over with fresh ingredients for this delicious appetizer.  They whipped it up together in the kitchen effortlessy, beautifully, and seamlessy.

~Cheers and thanks to C & C's first guest blogger, Rachel! ~

 When I was asked to guest blog, from my incredibly talented sister in-law, I was honored and knew I had give it a shot. . .

My love of cooking started when I was very young; standing on  a stool, barely reaching the stove, watching as my mother prepared our nightly 3-course feast , with an ease and grace that comes from the love of feeding her family healthy and delicious food. 

We were exposed to a variety of foods growing up, and we always had to take at least one bite of what she put on the table before we could say we "didn't like it", or "wouldn't eat it".  This allowed me to become an adult who can eat anywhere and try anything (at least once!)

This recipe is dedicated to my mother who cooked everything (and did it well) and my father who chased me around the house with a fork full of chicken salad, making me realize all I would miss out on if I said no to trying new things.

These "Veggie Toasts" are easy to make, a bit time-consuming and worth every minute! You could easily choose two or three of these ingredients and put them a top your favorite crusty bread and call it a day, but please commit to this combination of ingredients; and, most likely you will try something new and fall in love with an ingredient you would otherwise pass by at the market.

Rachel's Veggie Toasts

Source:  modified from an article in People Magazine, May 2012

Ingredients:

Crusty baguette
Ricotta cheese (about 1/2 a small container)
Parmesan cheese (small palmful)
small bunch of Asparagus
handful of cherry tomatoes
Peas, about 1 cup
1 bulb Fennel
4-6 radishes
S & P to taste

The Process:
Cooking:
Boil a pot of water big enough for all of your asparagus and peas. Have an ice bath waiting (ice and water in a bowl). Bend your asparagus until it snaps and use the top portion. Place your asparagus and peas in the boiling water for 1 min.  Transfer immediately into the ice bath once finished.  Drain and put aside.

Cut, slice, and shave:
Slice the bread into 1" thick pieces. Toast if you like, but if it's fresh there is no need.  Cut the asparagus length-wise in half.  Slice the radish razor thin or use a mandolin carefully to shave them. Slice the fennel (use the white part by pulling off a piece washing and cutting thin).  Slice the cherry tomatoes in half.  Shave your parmesan with a peeler.

Assembling:
Spread Ricotta cheese on the top of your sliced crusty bread. Place a piece or two of asparagus, peas, fennel, tomatoes, and radish on top. Top with freshly shaved parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Sit outside on your deck with a glass of crisp white wine, good company, and enjoy!