I am not a huge fan of vegetables, a few of them are a big no no and I get really choosy while eating them. Hence, most of the dishes that I cook revolve around non-vegetarian, I am sure a lot of you might relate to this kind of eating habit where meat-based meals are preferred over plants-based ones. Since a long time I have been trying to come in terms with this food bias that I have been secretly harboring inside of me but always found avoiding it, may be because it is much easier to make people like meat-based meals. I have avoided it for so long now that it sometimes becomes a challenge to plan a meal with complete vegetarian components. As a person of the kitchen I should not be the one promoting this kind of bias attitude towards food because it is way harder to make people like vegetarian dishes, that's where the true challenge for a chef or cook lies - making people eat and love something which they have avoided all their life. So, during this quarantine I promised myself that I would shrug my comfort shell and try things which I felt were daunting. Nothing better than starting with the freshest ingredients possible, which is where my mother's kitchen garden comes to play which beams with beautiful regional produce. Most of the components of this dish are made from scratch including the base of the crostini, the whipped ricotta cream and wild coriander pesto, recipes of which are already on the blog.
I have made this crostini with homemade crusty Irish Soda Bread studded with golden sultanas, flavoured with kaji lemon zest and juice harvested from my backyard. The whipped ricotta cream is homemade from fresh ricotta cheese made from milk obtained from our cows, the pumpkin & wild coriander harvested from our backyard and the honey was locally sourced from a neighbour. The wild coriander pesto is vegan and is made with toasted pepitas or pumpkin seeds. The simplicity and freshness of these ingredients is such it does not need too many condiments. Another example of minimalistic cooking from the freshest ingredients grown at home. Pumpkin is that vegetable which is completely ignored in most of the households including mine, it feels great to see people lick their plates off and appreciate this vegetable. Something so serene and relaxing about seeing your vision on a plate, yesterday by this time I just had an idea, I am glad that it came out better than it sounded in my head. I am in awe with the humble ingredients our state has to offer and it's versatility.
Ingredients:
Irshi Soda Bread (substitute it for any other crusty bread)- 8-10 slices
Small sized Pumpkin - 1/2 (thinly sliced)
Honey - 4 tbsp
Fresh Ricotta Cheese - 250 gms
Wild Coriander Pesto - 2/3rd cup
Olive Oil - 4 tbsp
Toasted Pepitas (Pumpkin seeds)- 2-3 tbsp
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method:
1. Blend the ricotta cheese in a blender with salt to get a smooth whipped ricotta cream and keep it aside.
2. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C. Mix honey, olive oil, salt and pepper together to make a marinade, apply this on the thinly sliced pumpkin and let sit for 5-10 mins. Roast for 15-20 mins on each side. Make sure not to overcrowd the baking tray and not to overlap the slices. The roasting time will also depend on how thin your slices are, the thicker the slice, the more time it will take to cook. Remove once the slices are caramelized and browned. Once done, remove and allow to cool at room temperature.
3. Cut the bread into slices, one soda bread will yield 8-10 slices and toast them on both sides. Toast the pumpkin seeds too.
4. Take a slice of bread and smother it with the whipped ricotta cream, place the pumpkin slices, throw-in the wild coriander pesto and finish off with a sprinkle of toasted pepitas. Cut the slice into two and serve the crostinis as an hors d'oeuvre.
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