Wild Mushroom and Taleggio Crostini
Many moons ago, I spent a summer baking cakes and tarts for several restaurants in the south of France. The fruits of my labor funded my first visit to the magical city of Venice. I spent days wandering through its labyrinthine streets, buying lunch from the floating vegetable markets on the canals—usually some grapes, a little cheese and perhaps some grissini and prosciutto—discovering ancient churches and silent medieval squares. I was enchanted by every corner and walked for hours. The tradition amongst locals was (and is) to pop into a bacaro, a small wine bar, for a little pre-dinner aperitivo and some cicchetti, the small snacks coveted by the Venetians. There would be a wide assortment of small toasts with fish, cheese or olives on top, and small plates of marinated vegetables, grilled peppers and—my favorite—mushroom crostini. Most of these places were standing-room-only and packed with locals, who would pass little plates filled with local delicacies to one another as convivial conversations swirled around the platters. That visit inspired this recipe for these crostini.
Wild Mushroom and Taleggio Crostini
Ingredients
- Butter
- 2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 8 slices ciabatta, lightly toasted
- Lemon olive oil
- 2 ounces goat cheese
- 6 ounces Taleggio, or fontina, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In batches, sauté the mushrooms (adding a little more butter if necessary) until they turn golden brown, about 5–8 minutes. Once all the mushrooms are cooked, return them to the pan. Add a large pinch of salt, 8–9 grinds of pepper, the chives and parsley. Mix well, then remove from the heat.
- Place the toasted ciabatta on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle each slice with a little lemon olive oil. Spread with the goat cheese and heap the mushrooms on top. Dot each crostino with pieces of Taleggio. Place under the broiler for 3–4 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve hot.
