Roasted Carrot Crostini with Dill Pesto & Feta

I'm happy I decided to try to start posting recipes again just in time for Easter.  I love all food-related holidays but Easter is especially nice because after the heavier meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas, we now get to celebrate bright and fresh flavours that go along with the start of springtime.

Whenever I try to think of Easter recipes my mind always goes straight to carrots.  As part of our Easter dinner last year, my sister made roasted carrots and radishes with a lemon dill pesto (inspired by With Food + Love) and the flavours worked really well together.  So I decided to turn that concept into an appetizer, with the addition of feta because feta makes everything better!

This dish looks a little fancy but is really easy to prepare. I just chopped and roasted some carrots in the oven, then whipped together a lemony dill pesto in the food processor.  I toasted some whole wheat baguette slices, spread some of the pesto on top, then topped them with the carrots and feta. I loved how the bright flavours of the pesto balanced out the earthy carrots and salty feta.

I'm in charge of apps for our family's Easter dinner this year so I think I'll be making these again!  I hope you all enjoy the long weekend and have a happy Easter if you're celebrating it!

Roasted Carrot Crostini with Lemon Dill Pesto & Feta

Serves 10-15

Ingredients:

For the carrots:

1-1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped into small, about ¼-½” pieces

1-2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the lemon dill pesto:

1-1/2 cups packed fresh dill

1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Other:

1/4 to 1/3 cup crumbled feta

1 large baguette, sliced diagonally into thin slices (I used a whole wheat ciabatta loaf)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss carrots with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Meanwhile, prepare dill pesto.  Place all ingredients (dill, parsley, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper) in the bowl of a food processor (I used the smaller bowl) and process until the pesto is as smooth as you can get it.  Taste and adjust any seasoning or amounts to your liking if necessary.

When carrots are done, leave oven on, and spray baguette slices with cooking spray.  Set on baking sheet and let toast in oven for about 3-5 minutes, until toasted.

Prepare crostini by spreading pesto on baguette slices, top with crumbled feta and roasted carrots, and garnish with chopped parsley if desired.  Serve while carrots are still warm.

Butternut Squash & Blue Cheese Crostini

So I promise this is the last time I'll complain about snow on here (especially because I know a lot of people have even worse weather right now), but it was practically a blizzard on my way to school yesterday!



It was actually a very beautiful and peaceful falling snow; I would have loved it in November-December and tolerated it in January-February, but it was just hard to appreciate in April!  I need the snow to stop so the already too short season for spring vegetables here (in Ontario) doesn't get any shorter!

But while I'm (impatiently) waiting, I'm at least happy to extend the season of delicious winter ingredients like butternut squash a little further.  And using squash atop crostini not only feels light enough to help transition my meals into Spring, but also makes for what is probably my new favourite appetizer!

This was my first time pairing squash and blue cheese together and the combination worked so well together!  I wanted to add caramelized onions because I thought that would make the flavour combination even better, but to keep things on a smaller scale I sauteed some minced shallots instead, which worked even better.  Add a drizzle of balsamic reduction to bring it all together and you have an elegant and flavourful appetizer that would be a unique addition to any party! Or if you want to make this into a meal for yourself and don't love crostini, the squash and blue cheese mixture on its own was delicious and would taste amazing mixed into a salad with a balsamic dressing.

It's looking much better out today so fingers crossed I'll have a Spring recipe to share next week! :)

Butternut Squash & Blue Cheese Crostini with Balsamic Reduction

Makes about 10 crostini

Ingredients:

1 pound butternut squash cubes, about ½-inch wide

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper

1 large shallot, minced

~1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 whole wheat baguette, sliced diagonally into about 10 slices (you may not use the whole loaf)

1 to 1.5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Toss butternut squash cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Spread on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, until tender and cooked through.

Meanwhile, add balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Let simmer until reduced to only about 1 tablespoon – it should be thicker and syrupy.  Remove to a small bowl to let cool.

Heat remaining olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced shallot and cook until golden brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Once squash is done, leave oven on, and spray baguette slices with cooking spray.  Set on baking sheet and let toast in oven for about 3-5 minutes, until crispy.

Meanwhile, mix squash with shallots and blue cheese in a large bowl.

Assemble the crostini:  Spoon the butternut squash mixture onto each toasted baguette slice.  Drizzle with balsamic reduction and serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: I added a tiny amount of minced parsley to add some green on top of the crostini for visual purposes, but basil would probably work well too if you like!