I don't often have religious moments and in truth they're almost exclusively related to the ingestion of food. When I crunched my way into my first slice of this gorgeous crostini with ricotta and salsa verde I found myself muttering "Lordy be still my heart. That Bill Granger is a genius!" Of course since I was crunching away on the crunchiest sourdough (Brasserie Bread's Quinoa loaf) it came out more looking like a SBS movie subtitle.
Whilst I've eaten salsa verde before, this was my first time making it. I'm probably one of the few people on earth that doesn't really like tomato salsa so I never really ventured into making salsa verde. However I am now a convert. The salsa verde is a gorgeous, fresh tasting accompaniment which reminds me a little of tabouli in its freshness but with salt from the capers and anchovies. You may notice that there are only two slices on the plate. That is because when I made it, some very hungry people couldn't hold back and proceeded to crunch on them while I was trying to get the photographs together. Some people! ;)
If ever you're a fan of fresh, delicious and healthy flavours (and who isn't?), I urge you to make this simple salsa verde. I have the crumb stained smiling faces of everyone in front of me as proof although I should probably warn that you most certainly risk a parsley in the teeth situation. And thankfully, that's the only price to pay for such deliciousness.
So tell me Dear Reader, what dish or food has given you a religious moment? A perfect macaron? A pretty cupcake? A plate of soft, juicy ribs?
Pssst! In some exciting news, I will be a guest on Radio 89.7FM's Food in Focus show this Saturday the 20th of June at 4pm. Tune in for my very first live discussion which is both exciting and scary!
Crostini with Salsa Verde and Ricotta
For salsa verde
- 1 bunch of continental or flatleaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup of spring onions, chopped
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 5 tablespoons olive oil (I used rice bran oil)
- 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained, finely chopped
- 4 anchovy fillets, blotted on a paper towel and finely chopped
To serve:
- 8 slices of good quality sourdough
- 200g ricotta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- freshly ground salt and pepper
- sprinkle of nutmeg
Closeup of the Salsa Verde
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Combine all salsa verde ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine and set aside. It will look quite coarse.
Seasoned ricotta
Step 2 - Place bread on a tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes until lightly golden and crunchy. Meanwhile drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil on top of the ricotta, season this too and add a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Step 3 - When bread is toasted, layer on some salsa verde and then top with some ricotta.
Adapted from Feed Me Now by Bill Granger from Harpers Collins
