We’re hosting a little poolside BBQ for the Fourth this year, and I’m working up a menu made for grazing over the course of an afternoon filled with sparkling rosé and cider beer. I love that these crostini topped with fresh ricotta and blueberry chutney give a nod to patriotism in red, white & blue, without being quite as obvious as, say, a flag cake (not that I don’t love flag cakes, Mom… I actually really do!) The blueberry chutney can be made completely in advance – in fact, I doubled this recipe and stashed a jar in my fridge for this Thursday’s feast. And now that I’ve perfected the flavors, I’m dreaming of serving it alongside a grilled pork tenderloin, or letting it drip down over a wheel of warm brie served with crackers. Keep reading for the recipe!
Blueberry Chutney & Ricotta Crostini
*makes 18 crostini
Ingredients:
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2″ knob fresh ginger, grated
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- a few sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- squeeze fresh lemon juice
- 1 baguette, sliced thinly on the diagonal
- 2 cups fresh ricotta (or if not “fresh,” make sure it’s whole milk)
- garnish: fresh thyme, lemon zest & flake salt like maldon
Instructions:
- In a small skillet, warm a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, and sauté until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the blueberries, ginger, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme and salt. Turn the heat to low, and let simmer for 15 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the cornstarch and let simmer for 1 more minutes, stirring gently.
- Remove from heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Let chutney cool, and either serve at room temperature, or refrigerate until ready to use.
- To make crostini: Heat grill or indoor grill pan to high heat. Brush each side of bread slices with extra virgin olive oil, then grill until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then add a dollop of fresh ricotta and a tablespoon of the chutney.
- Garnish with fresh thyme leaves, lemon zest and a sprinkle of maldon salt.
*photos by Camille
I’ll bet the ginger tastes so delicious with blueberries, and the lemon zest adds another note of brightness. Can’t wait to try this luscious treat!
Thanks Kendel – the ginger was a last-minute addition that totally transformed these… for the best!
oh yum! this looks delish
kw ladies in navy
oh my gosh yum! Love the understated and sophisticated red, white & blue theme 🙂
What an amazing combination of flavors! Delicious!
Festive and tasty! Looks great!
Mon Dieu, it looks appetising! I always turn to your blog when I’m in the mood for an easy and delicious recipe, Camille.
Ada
This chutney is beyond amazing! I stuffed chicken breast with goat cheese, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and baked them in the oven. Topped with chutney over the chicken. Delicious!
Beautiful in blue! Can’t wait to try this. Thank you for sharing!
The chutney looks like it would be awesome with grilled pork tenderloin.
Oh, God. YUMMY!!!
I used blackberries instead of blue berries and only 1 T of sugar. Fantastic!
Make your own ricotta you will never buy it again and it is so easy. Copy this address, you won’t be disappointed. I am going to preserve some of this blueberry chutney for my homemade ricotta….oh my, so tasty. best of luck.
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/06/rich-homemade-ricotta/
This sounds yummy! Sure wish there were a print icon, to allow for getting just the recipe. 🙁
Can you tell me how loong this will last in the refrigerator?
I just received an email, but it made no reference to my question of yesterday. How do I print “just the recipe” and not the whole page. Most recipes i find on Yummy have a “PRINT” icon, and this doesn’t. Help!!! I’d like to make this recipe.
Thanks again,
Victoria
I use print friendly all the time for recipes. Link is here: http://www.printfriendly.com/browser_tool
Hi Victoria! Sorry, but this recipe was created before our print feature was implemented. Check out our newer recipes though… they all have a “print” button. Hope you enjoy!
It’ll last 1 week in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!
Camille, thank you so much for the “print friendly” help. It worked great, and I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks also to Marcia, who I see sent me help as well.