It may technically be late spring but in Houston we already have the humidity and heat that makes it feel as if summer has arrived. You can’t walk outside without being enveloped in the unwelcome embrace of humid air. The humidity is mostly to blame on the torrential downpours and floods we’ve been having for what seems like the entire month of May. I think the rains are over for now though in their wake is a swarm of buzzing mosquitoes. Before it gets too terribly hot outside I wanted to share these crostini with you as spring produce is fleeting in these parts.
I was actually planning on sharing something cold and sweet here today but I decided against it because I had the overwhelming urge to bake some bread and use up these veggies before they met their demise in the crisper. Typically I don’t dream of baking bread when the mercury starts to rise, but I received Erin McKenna’s latest book “Bread & Butter” in the mail this past week. Erin of Babycakes fame just released this stunner filled with all sorts of bread-y recipes to satisfy the biggest of gluten-free carb lovers among us. In trying to figure out which recipe to try out first, I narrowed it down to the focaccia, the plain sandwich bread, and the pizza dough. Since fresh baked bread is my jam, I decided to go with the sandwich bread. And since I wanted the bread to have more of a purpose than going directly into my belly as fast as my hands could get it into my mouth, I decided to make some springy crostini!
Fennel has become a new love of mine during the colder months. It takes on such an amazing flavor when it’s roasted as the licorice flavors mellow and caramelize. I spotted some at the market this past weekend so I immediately snatched it up. For these crostini I pair it with spicy radishes and earthy asparagus to create a tangle of roasted veggie goodness. Since I like different textures, I threw some almonds in the mix for a bit of crunch. To create a bit of contrast and be mindful about reducing waste, I made a fresh gremolata out of fennel fronds, lemon zest, and garlic to top the crostini. If you don’t have any bread, you can serve this over some greens or you favorite cooked grain and it will still be delicious.
Late Spring Crostini with Fennel Frond Gremolata
- Total Time: 30-35 minutes
- Yield: 6–10 crostini 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A tangle of roasted radishes, fennel, and asparagus is piled on slices of freshly toasted bread and sprinkled with a fennel frond gremolata. A beautiful (and delicious) ode to springtime produce!
Ingredients
for the roasted veggies
- 1 small bulb of fennel (reserve fronds for gremolata)
- 3–4 radishes
- 6–8 spears of asparagus
- small handful of sliced almonds
- salt/pepper to taste
- olive oil
- juice from 1/2 of a small lemon
for the gremolata & assembly
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fennel fronds
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 6–10 slices of your favorite gluten free bread (the amount of slices depends on the size of the bread)
- olive oil
- smoked sea salt or other flaky sea salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Clean the veggies well and trim off any ends or cores if necessary. Slice everything into similar sized pieces and put it on a baking sheet. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the veggies, season with a bit of salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Roast the veggies for a total of 20-25 minutes or until the edges just start to caramelize. During the last 5 minutes of roasting time, toss in the almonds. Once you remove the baking sheet from the oven, squeeze the lemon juice over the veggies and toss to combine. Set aside the veggies until you are ready to assemble the crostini.
Make the gremolata by combining the chopped fennel fronds, lemon zest, and minced garlic in a small bowl. Mix well.
To assemble your crostini, drizzle your bread with a bit of olive oil and toast it according to your liking. Depending on the size of your bread, you may wish to cut it in half to make smaller crostini. Top each piece of bread with a heaped spoonful of the veggie mixture, then sprinkle the gremolata over the top. Finish with a pinch of smoked sea salt or other flaky sea salt if you like. Makes 6 to 10 crostini depending on the size of the bread. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
The size of the bread will dictate how many crostini the recipe makes. If you use smaller pieces/slices, you’ll have enough of the veggie mixture and gremolata for about 10 crostini.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
I have developed a bad habit involving forgetting to put away or use particular items . For instance, I’ve had my tape measure sitting by the door of my closet since I hung a shelf in it almost a month ago. Yet, there it sits. Wow, that was embarrassing to admit… When I do notice it, I think about needing to put it up, then twenty other thoughts enter my head and I move on. And there the lonely tape measure sits. I’m not sure why I do this sort of thing. Maybe there’s some psychological explanation for it. Or, maybe it’s laziness. Now that I think about it, I’m almost one hundred percent positive it’s laziness.
…