Strawberry balsamic whole grain crostini with goat cheese and basil

Strawberry season and party season is upon us! 

The recipe redux's May theme is to create a healthy spin on tapas and finger foods. Finger foods and tapas are great items to have for a graduation party, wedding/baby showers, or for a picnic. I choose to create a spring time crostini. Crostini is a small bite of toast with toppings. This month I aimed to provide a burst of flavor into one or two bites while keeping it healthy.
I incorporated my family's fresh strawberries into an appetizer at my future nephew's baptism celebration. The appetizer was a hit! It provided many different textures with the crunch of the toasted bread, the creamy texture from the goat cheese, and the soft texture of the strawberries. The mixture of flavors all came together so well from sweet to tart. This crostini is a quick and delicious appetizer for your next party or snack.

Strawberry balsamic whole grain crostini with goat cheese and basil

 

Serves: makes about 40

Ingredients:

• About 40 medium strawberries, sliced (1 for each slice of toast) [Duffield's farm strawberries recommended :)]
• 1 whole whole-grain Italian bread, sliced in 1/4 inch slices (comes out to about 40 slices)
• 1 log of fresh goat cheese (8 oz)
• 10 medium leaves of basil (roll and slice)
• Balsamic reduction 

Directions:

1. Toast slices of bread in oven or on grill top until crispy.
2. Smooth on goat cheese.
3. Top with slices of strawberries.
4. Drizzle with balsamic reduction.
5. Top with basil.
6. Enjoy!

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