Mushroom Crostini with Goat Cheese

For the "Food as Art" potluck, I also made some mushroom crostini.  I really liked the idea of the mushroom topping.  I always tend to make a tapenade or a tomato topping.  The mushroom topping was pretty easy.  Just saute up a variety of mushrooms (I used a combo of crimini, white and shiitake), add some garlic and herbs, and throw it all in the food processor.  And what is nice, is that it actually tastes really good at room temperature.  I topped mine with some goat cheese. Of course.  Which worked really well.  To make it "art", I added some parsley.  I suppose it isn't the most art like dish, but that is ok.  

Mushroom Crostini

by Annie’s Eats

For the crostini:

24 thin slices baguette or other crusty bread

Olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, halved

For the mushroom spread:

3-4 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 lb. mushrooms, any combination, roughly chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced

1 tsp. coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350° F. To make the crostini, place baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly brush each slice of bread with olive oil. Bake 15- 20 minutes, until golden and crisp. Once the bread slices have cooled enough to handle, rub each crostini with the cut side of a garlic clove. Set aside.

To make the mushroom spread, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Mix in the garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary and salt, cooking 1-2 more minutes, until fragrant.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor with the feed tube open to vent steam. Process until finely ground. With the processor running, add the remaining 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread each piece of bread with a thin layer of the mushroom mixture, transfer to a platter and serve.

(Servings: ~10, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 12 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

Some other "Food as Art" dishes (Homer Cheese/Salami tray, Curry Tree, Fruit and Yogurt Salad, Curry Elephant, Swirly pizza):