Asparagus crostini sounds a hell of a lot more appealing, and elevated, than asparagus toast, right? These two quick summer meals are inspired by a recipe from Jim Lahey's excellent cookbook, My Pizza. In it he has a recipe for shaved asparagus and avocado salad, which calls for marinating both ingredients with lime, olive oil, and fresh mint.
It's a perfect pairing for summer because it's fast, delicious, nutritional, and most importantly: cool. Shaved asparagus may sound fancy, but it's extremely simple to do with a common kitchen peeler (I use this one!). I was intrigued by the recipe, and ever since I first made it I've come to actually prefer asparagus raw, with its bright crunch and earthy green flavor.
Asparagus is abundant in New York the moment spring hits, so it's one of the reasons I wanted to share these two recipes. Here I swap lime for lemon, and convert the recipe into what's essentially a fancy version of avocado toast.
Avocado and Asparagus Crostini
- 1 piece of good bread, toasted
- 1 clove of garlic, halved
- 1 half of a ripe avocado
- 5 or more asparagus spears, depending on thickness
- olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper
1. Half avocado and slice finely the non-pitted half. Scoop out the avocado slices with a spoon and set aside. Store remaining pitted half of the avocado with half an onion to keep fresh.
2. Take an asparagus spear and hold the fibrous end against the cutting board. Press your peeler against the asparagus and drag gently towards the tip of the spear. This should result in a thin ribbon of asparagus. Repeat until you've got a nice pile of asparagus ribbons, then transfer the asparagus to a bowl.
3. Dress the asparagus with a drizzle of olive oil, a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a quick stir to ensure the marinade is well incorporated.
4. Toast your bread! Once the bread is good and toasted, rub the surface of the toast with the halved garlic clove. You can skip this step if you find garlic to be overwhelming, but this is something I personally do every time I make avocado toast.
5. Put the avocado slices on the toast, season with salt and pepper, and then mash gently with a fork. The mashed avocado will help anchor the asparagus to the toast.
6. Layer on the marinated shave asparagus, finish with salt and pepper, and serve immediately!
Next up is essentially the same marinated asparagus, this time finely chopped, and served on top of a spread of herbed lemon ricotta. This toast is likely inspired by the gorgeous chapter on crostinis in the Franny's cookbook, which is easily one of the best cookbooks I own. In the summer I find the heat diminishes my appetite, and when I do feel hungry I want to reach for fresh, bright, cool dishes, which usually results in something raw and cold piled on top of a piece of toast. This is certainly the grazers way of eating, but it also means getting to experience the summer's bounty of produce in all its glory, untouched by heat and usually only enhanced with salt or citrus. I am also, admittedly, someone who would ask for a summer tomato bruschetta as my last meal.
Asparagus and Ricotta Crostini
- 1 piece of good bread, toasted
- 1 cup of ricotta
- 5 to 8 asparagus spears, depending on size!
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Dried or fresh herbs
- Half a clove of garlic, minced or grated
- Olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 Basil leaves, julienned
1. Grab a small bowl and add the cup of ricotta, lemon zest, and dried herbs (I used my Italian spice grinder here, but fresh mint or basil works beautifully!) and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the mixture thoroughly until all the zest and seasoning is incorporated. Taste to ensure it's well seasoned.
2. Finely chop your asparagus into small thin slices. Place the chopped asparagus in a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, the minced garlic clove, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the mixture is thoroughly seasoned.
3. Toast your bread!
4. Grab your toasted bread and spread a generous amount of ricotta on the toast. Spoon the marinated asparagus on top. Finish by sprinkling with fresh basil. Serve immediately! Store any extra herbed ricotta in the fridge for the next time you need a good snack, or if you're feeling adventurous, use it to make some Ricotta Gnocchi!
