Last night I had some friends over for what I called *Fancy Dinner* for New Year’s Eve. The menu was set with a mixed green, pecan, pomegranate, and goat cheese salad (we didn’t actually make/eat this), lemon garlic roasted asparagus, gruyere and garlic mashed potatoes, and a roasted prime rib roast. I leisurely has spent the last few days getting everything I needed, and in my final grocery store trip, I thought – let’s just bring it up one more level with a nice little appetizer – these leek bruschetta.
I first had a variation of these in a virtual cooking class my friend Paisley and I took when I still lived in Texas, I they’ve just been in the back of my mind ever since. I didn’t have the recipe, but generally could remember the direction to go in, so I grabbed the groceries I needed and headed home for a good night’s rest before a marathon cooking day.
One nice thing about these is that you can make the topping ahead of time and then just reheat before guests show up and put on your toast. I also think it would be great as a dip with crackers, but my friend Lauren said “these were God’s bruschetta and I didn’t need to change a single thing” which is a pretty good endorsement.
While these were the last minute additions to the menu, I think they were the crowd favorite – aside from the Dilly Bars Kathryn brought for dessert – truly shouldn’t deprive yourself, especially on a holiday.
For a holiday I generally don’t like, this was probably my favorite New Years in a long time. There were just a few of us – we had great food, we watched the Vikings game (not a highlight of the night), rang in the new year together with some Cooks Extra Dry (my favorite) and stayed up way past our bed time to reflect on 2023 and our intentions and hopes for 2024. We asked each other questions – best moment from 2023, what you’re looking forward to leaving behind in 2023, things you want to prioritize in 2024, favorite song of the last year, death row meals, how you’d spend your last day on earth. It was really nice, even if we were up until almost 3:00 AM.
One of the things I talked about wanting to do was giving this blog the attention it deserves. I really do enjoy cooking, and sometimes get too caught up in work and life other priorities that I neglect this site. So today, I renewed the site and set off to Kowalski’s to get the ingredients to make God’s Bruschetta and share it with all of you.
I hope 2024 brings a lot of adventure, a lot of new experiences, spending time with my closest friends and family, being appreciative of the life I have, lots of quality time with Franklin and Wallis, to making the most of every moment, and of course good food. Cheers friends, thanks for joining on the journey.
Caramelized Leek and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups sliced & rinsed leeks, about two large leeks using the white and light green parts only (notes below)
3 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 oz log plain Goat Cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan
4 Tablespoons minced chives, divided
2 Tablespoon lemon zest, divided
1 baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Maldon’s flakey salt
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a large (12″) skillet, melt the butter until over medium low heat.
If you haven’t already, cut the root off the leeks as well as the dark green leaves at the top. Cut the leeks in half the long way to have a flat surface to slice them on, and then cut them into half circle slices about 1/3 inch thick. Rinse really well with water, and set aside until the butter in the pan has melted.
Add the leeks to the skillet and sweat them out and let caramelize, stirring every few minutes or so, adjusting the heat as necessary so they don’t brown too quickly. Season with salt and pepper to taste as they’re caramelizing. When the leeks are almost fully wilted and caramelized – there won’t be the bright white or green color anymore and – add in the minced garlic. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant but not browning.
To the skillet, add in the goad cheese and heavy cream, stirring so everything is mixed together. Add in 1 cup of shredded parmesan, 3 tablespoons of chives, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest. Stir and let cook until simmering. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Take your baguette slices, drizzle with the olive oil and toast until warm brown – this can be done in a skillet or toaster oven.
To plate, take one piece of the baguette and put a spoonful of filling on top, repeating until all the filling and baguette slices are used up. take the remaining Parmesan, chives, and lemon zest and top each bruschetta with a sprinkle of each. Finally top with a pinch of Maldon’s flakey salt and enjoy!
NOTE: If you’re planning to make this ahead and reheat before guests arrive, stop after the bruschetta topping has simmered, let it cool slightly, and put in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the skillet, toast the bread, and plate when ready to eat.
Happy Eating!
Kelly
Theses are great, thanks Kelly. Some time add some danish blue cheese
You can make this when you come home and use Anita’s idea with Blue Cheese.