My friend Elaine isn’t in town that often, but when she is, we do our darndest to schedule lunch, as well dinner with our boys. A new restaurant opened in the cute little nearby suburb of Excelsior recently, and it sounded like a perfect place for a summer al fresco dinner with our dear friends. And when I checked out the menu beforehand, I knew I’d be ordering their Pea Bruschetta appetizer.
We soak up every second of summer here in Minnesota – schedules {and productivity} go out the window if a beautiful day is forecast. And dining outside – tolerable on the few days a year when the temperature is perfect and the breeze is enough to keep mosquitos away {yet not too bold to require battening down the hatches} is a perfect way to end a perfect day.
Our entire dinner at the recently opened Coalition was terrific – but I was in love with these little morsels that we devoured while attempting to catch up. So much so that I wanted to go back and have them again so I could figure out how to make them at home.
Elaine was more than willing to join me on this “research project.” So a few days later, she met me for lunch. Another perfect day, another table outside.
By the way, “Lunch with Elaine” can easily turn into “Dinner with Elaine.” As I mentioned, she’s not in town that much – she and Rog travel extensively. I join her vicariously through her smart and hilarious blog “Notes from a Broad.” {And Elaine, by referring to your blog here, my goal is to nudge you to keep posting!} Between filling me in on the inevitable “rest of the story” – that she doesn’t {or shouldn’t} include in her blog posts, and just generally catching up on “life,” we usually lose track of time!
I think we successfully analyzed the ingredients in the Pea Bruschetta. They make a perfect light appetizer, and are delicious when paired with a glass of crisp white wine. Outside. In the summer. With a dear friend.
- 1 baguette, sliced
- olive oil
- 1½ cups frozen peas
- ¾ cup edamame {shelled}
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- Zest of 1 lemon + 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
- 2 tsp. honey, plus additional for drizzling
- salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Brush baguette slices with olive oil and place on baking sheet. Bake until just crisp, about 13-15 minutes.
- Blanch peas and edamame together in small saucepan of boiling water for about 3 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water.
- In medium bowl, mix together ricotta, lemon zest, juice, mint and honey. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread ricotta mixture on baguette slices. Top each baguette with about a tablespoon of the pea / edamame mixture. Drizzle bruschetta with a little honey, and cracked black pepper.
I found these tiny little pre-baked crostini in the deli section of my favorite grocery store – they’re great when you’re pressed for time. When using a baguette, I prefer whole-wheat. If you’re looking to cut down on carbs, consider substituting cucumber rounds for the bread.
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