kale & cannellini crostini

Every Wednesday, our team at work has "tea time", a 30 minute segment away from computers and meetings where we can take a break and chat while noshing on tasty snacks. Each week, two people sign up to host and determine what will be served. In the past, treats have run the gamut, ranging from cupcakes to traditional cucumber tea sandwiches (with the crusts cut off!) to wine and cheese (what's better at 3pm in the afternoon?).

This week, Jennifer and I are hosting. Our tea time happens to coincide with St. Patrick's Day, which made me feel that I needed to make something green. I'm not a big fan of artificial food coloring, so decided to go with a natural green, and one of my favorite veggies: kale.

Kale is not what I would traditionally think of as finger food. But serving it along side crostini and some tasty cheese should do the trick. In addition to the kale crostini, I brought a sweet citrus treat that is the focus of this month's Daring Bakers' Challenge (tune back in on March 27th - the release date - for details), and a pistachio spin on peanut butter crispies. Here is the crostini recipe:

Kale & Cannelini Crostini

Makes 20-30 crostini

crostini:

1 sour baguette, thinly sliced

olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced in half

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush bread slices with olive oil. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Bake until beginning to color, about 6 minutes. Rub toasts with halved garlic clove.

kale & cannellini topping:

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 bunches tuscan kale, destemmed and chopped into 1" pieces

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 c. veggie stock

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

pecorino cheese, to top

Heat olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large pot over medium heat. When garlic is golden, add kale, salt, and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add veggie stock and beans. Cook until beans are hot and mixture is reduced.

To serve, top crostini with kale mixture and a thin slice of cheese.

One year ago: tomatillo salsa verde