Roasted Brunoise Garden Vegetables and Chevre Crostini

This is a nice simple French style crostini appetizer!   This appetizer features a roasted brunoise of garden vegetables and warm Chevre fresh goat cheese on toasted French bread.

     
     Roasted Brunoise of Garden Vegetables and Chevre Crostini Recipe:
     Brush 3 thin slices of French Baguette bread with olive oil.
     Place the bread slices on a baking pan.
     Toast the crostini in a 350 degree oven, till the bread becomes a light golden brown color.
     Set the crostini aside.
     Brunoise dice 2 tablespoons each of celery, carrot and green bell pepper.  (Brunoise means to very tiny and uniformly dice.  The pieces of vegetables should be cube shaped and no bigger than 1/8"x1/8"x1/8".)
     Place the brunoise diced vegetables onto a small baking pan.
     Drizzle a very small amount of olive oil over the vegetables.
     Bake the brunoise vegetables in a 350 degree oven for only 2 to 3 minutes, till the vegetables become halfway cooked.
     Remove the pan from the oven.
     Cut a few thin slices of Chevre goat cheese.
     Place the sliced goat cheese on top of each of the crostini.
     Place the chevre crostini on a baking pan.
     Spread the half cooked brunoise of garden vegetables on the goat cheese.
     Bake the crostini in a 350 degree oven.
     Only bake the crostini for just enough time to soften the cheese and to finish roasting the brunoise vegetables.
     Place the crostini on a plate.
     Garnish the plate with a simple vinaegrette salad of your choice.  A small portion of caponata is a nice accompaniment.

     Caponata Recipe:
     Heat a saute pan over medium low heat.
     Add 1/3 cup of olive oil.
     Add 6 cloves of thin sliced garlic.
     Add 1/2 cup of chopped onion.
     Add 1/2 cup of chopped celery.
     Gently saute till the vegetables become aldente.
     Cut the ends off of a medium size eggplant.  (Leave the skin on the eggplant.)
     Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise.
     Cut the two eggplant halves into 1/4" thick slices.
     Add the eggplant slices to the pan.
     Saute till the eggplant starts to become tender.
     Add olive oil if necessary.  Eggplant absorbs oil!
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Add 1 cup of plum tomato filets that are cut into strips.
     Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
     Add 1/4 cup of  balsamic vinegar.
     Add 1/4 cup of water.
     Note:  The mixture should look like a vegetable stew that has very little liquid.  At this point, stirring occasionally is key.  Don't let this caponata get too mushy by simmering for too much time.  Only add a minimum amount of the balsamic vinegar and a tiny splash of water, so that the time spent simmering will not be long.
     Gently stir the caponata.
     Gently simmer and reduce the liquid.
     The caponata should be rich and dark colored with the thick sauce clinging to the vegetables.
     Remove the caponata from the heat.
     Place the caponata into a container and chill it in a refrigerator.
     Chill the caponata for at least two hours before serving, so that all the flavors meld.
   
     This crostini platter is a nice appetizer, light lunch or healthy snack.  The roasted brunoise of garden vegetables on the fresh goat cheese crostini has a very pleasant flavor!  Yum!  ...  Shawna