5-7 slices whole grain bread, very thinly slices
3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
tiny splash of milk or cream
two big pinches of salt
1/4 c. apple, cut into 1/4 inch dice (place in a bit of lemon water if not using immediately)
3/4 c. zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2 tsp. Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic
a bit of freshly ground black pepper
drizzle with Basil Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces (or use a cookie cutter), brush with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until golden, roughly 14 minutes, flipping once along the way. Remove and let cool. In the meantime, whisk the goat cheese in a small bowl with just enough milk to make it fluffy, light, and easily dollop-able. Spoon into a piping bag, or alternately a small plastic bag with just a bit of the corner cut off) and set aside in a cool place. To make the zucchini-apple component, heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Stir in the salt and the apples. Saute for about 15 seconds and then stir in the zucchini. Cook for another 15-20 seconds; things should really be sizzling. But keep in mind, you only want to heat and soften things up a touch, not turn everything to mush by overcooking. Quickly remove from the heat and stir in the Lemon Olive Oil. Toss and taste, add a bit more salt if needed. Transfer the zucchini mixture to a large plate to cool a bit. To assemble take one piece of the toasted bread and spoon a small amount of the zucchini mixture on top of it. Squeeze a little bit of the goat cheese on top of that and a few flecks of black pepper. Repeat and arrange on your favorite serving platter.
*Tested in New Year's Appy Cooking Class
