Recipe
(serves 4)
Crostini
Ingredients
- 8 slices of artisan sourdough bread
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (250 ml) cashew cheese (*see recipe below) or use store bought
- 4 heirloom carrots, using different colours like red, purple, yellow, sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- 2-3 asparagus stalks, sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- 2-3 rainbow radishes, using pink, purple and red, thinly sliced on the mandoline
- 8 wild leeks, white bulb only, bottoms trimmed, and cut into halves lengthwise
- Serve with the wild leek pesto (*see recipe below)
- fine himalayan pink salt or kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over tartines.
You may like this recipe as well:
Instructions
- Soak the ribbons and thinly sliced vegetables in a bowl of ice water for 10-15min.
- Drain and roll the vegetables up gently in a tea towel.
- Grill or toast the slices of bread, and brush the olive oil over the bread.
- Grill or quickly saute the wild leeks to soften and gently cook them.
- Generously spread the cashew cheese on the toast, and divide the carrots, radishes, asparagus and wild leeks between the crostinis.
- Top each one with the wild leek pesto.
- Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Serve immediately and serve any extra pesto on the side.
Wild leek, mint and carrot top pesto
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) carrot top fronds only
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) wild leek greens only
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) small mint leaves, or larger ones torn into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon zest
- ½ tsp fine himalayan pink salt
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toss all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Serve with crostini
Tips
- Can easily substitute parsley for carrot tops.
- Feel free to also substitute basil, oregano, thyme for the other herbs or whatever you have on hand.
- Green onion can be substituted for the wild leeks as they have a very short season.
- Cashew cheese is easy to make and a bit more cost effective. Plus it can be customized to your favourite flavour or play around with different seasonings.
You may like this recipe as well:
Cashew cheese
(makes 1 ½-1 ¾ cups)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (500 ml) raw cashews, soaked in water overnight*
- 1 tsp (5 ml) kosher salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp (5 ml) garlic (1 small clove)
- fresh ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup (6 tbsp/90 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp (10 ml) porcini powder (*optional)
- 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon zest
- 2 probiotic capsules
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chives, finely chopped
- cheesecloth cut into 2 x 12” (30 cm) squares
Instructions
- Drain the cashews, and add all the ingredients except chives to food processor.
- Puree until smooth. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic and porcini powder if using.
- Add a tablespoon or two of water if the mixture is too dry.
- Mix again, taste and reseason again and add more water if necessary.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the probiotic capsules and the chives.
- Mix well until the capsules dissolve.
- Over a cutting board, lay the two pieces of cheesecloth on top of each other.
- Should look like just one square.
- Add the cashew mixture to the middle of the cheesecloth, and pull up the sides of the cloth to create a tight bundle. Secure with an elastic band, clip or string.
- Place the bundle in a folded tea cloth lined bowl that will nestle both. The tea cloth will help absorb moisture from the cheese.
- Let sit at room temp in a darker, cooler part of the kitchen for 24-48 hours.
- This will help the cheese develop a deeper cheesier, tangier flavour and firmer texture.
- Remove from the cheesecloth and transfer to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for approximately a week.
- * In a pinch, the cashews can be soaked for an hour in boiled hot water
Tip
Also try flavouring the cheese with ½ tsp (2 ml) of dry mustard and ½ tsp (2 ml) smoked paprika or add more minced garlic or try added 1 tsp (5 ml) of everything bagel spice mix.
