Crostini Bar

Ingredients

1 baguette, fatter in size, cut on a bias into 1/2-inch slices, makes about 10-12 slices
For the Puttanesca Topper:
4 tomatoes, sliced
2 cloves garlic, grated
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
3 tablespoons store-bought olive tapenade
2 to 3 tablespoons capers, chopped

A handful of parsley, chopped

Yields: as much or as little as you want!

Preparation

Hold your serrated knife on a 45-degree angle and slice, keeping your knife on that angle; just like slicing a flank steak or London broil. Drizzle bread slices with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Place under the broiler for about 30 seconds on each side. Keep a close eye on it, because if you're like me, you've burned one too many loaves of bread!

Serve small toasts with various store-bought toppings, such as hummus, pesto, olive tapenade, bresaola, and sundried tomato spread.

For the Puttanesca Topper:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place tomatoes on a cookie sheet and grate the garlic over them. Drizzle tomatoes with some EVOO and season with some salt and pepper. Transfer cookie sheet to the oven and roast tomatoes for 8-10 minutes, until the tomatoes start to burst. Remove from the oven, and rough chop the tomatoes.

In a shallow bowl, whisk anchovy paste with a drizzle or two of EVOO. Stir in tomatoes, olive tapenade, capers and parsley.

Serve on top of crostini.