Have you been getting a chance to soak up all of the in-season produce yet this autumn?
Lately my cooking and baking has been limited because I moved cross country, and then I was staying in an Airbnb without a legit kitchen for over a month. Plus, I’ve been pre-occupied with trying to find a new home in Connecticut… BUT I have news to share!
I recently went apple picking in Bethel, CT
After much time and effort spent into looking to buy a place here, my husband and I decided to put our buying plans on hold and to rent a townhouse for 6 months. This move has been incredibly stressful, and sometimes when nothing is going according to plan, you have to recalibrate. We moved into the townhouse last weekend, and I will be spending the next couple of days unpacking and getting settled in… and I am so excited to have all of my stuff back, including a real kitchen with all of my most beloved cookware! I’m looking forward to creating a lot of meals in this kitchen in the coming weeks.
In my kitchen, October is going to be all about my favorite seasonal flavors. I went apple picking a few weekends ago, so I’ve been eating lots of apples, and am hoping to bake with them this week. I also am craving a pumpkin banana bread, so those recipe ingredients are on my current food shopping list. And today, I have a recipe to share with you that’s fun for easy entertaining, and it features another in-season ingredient: pomegranate.
These herbed goat cheese & pomegranate crostini feature lots of interesting flavors, but the ingredient list is pretty short and sweet. I love making crostini because they tend to be easy to make & a crowd pleaser that’s fun to eat.
To whip them up, we brush baguette slices with olive oil, then throw them in the oven to get a bit crispy.
Meanwhile, combine pomegranate arils with creamy goat cheese, lemon zest, basil leaves, sea salt and pepper in the food processor, pulsing until mostly smooth.
Once the crostini are toasty, remove them from the oven and spread the pomegranate goat cheese spread on top of each one. Enjoy them while they’re warm!
Pomegranate Goat Cheese Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 baguette around 10 oz
- Arils from 1/2 pomegranate
- 4 oz creamy goat cheese
- 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- Zest from 1/2 lemon
- 5 basil leaves torn
- 1/4 TSP fine sea salt
- 1/8 TSP ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Slice the baguette into pieces that are 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Transfer bread to a baking sheet.
- Place 1 TBSP of the olive oil in a small bowl. Use a brush to blot the tops of the baguette slices with the oil.
- Bake the bread for 8 minutes, or until they're lightly crispy.
- Meanwhile, whip up the pomegranate goat cheese: Place the pomegranate arils in the food processor. Add the goat cheese in chunks. Drizzle the olive oil, and add in the lemon zest, torn basil leaves, sea salt and black pepper. Process until the mixture is mostly smooth.
- When the bread is done cooking, use a butter knife to spread the goat cheese mixture on top of each slice.
- Optional: Garnish the crostini with pomegranate arils and more lemon zest.
And if you’re looking for other seasonal recipe ideas, I’ve created some awesome recipes for Shape lately:
Cinnamon Apple Stuffed Sweet Potatoes >>
Thai Green Curry with Veggies & Crispy Tofu >>
Tell me… What autumn ingredients have you been craving/eating?
So glad you found a place to call home for a little while! This crostini looks like the perfect way to celebrate having a kitchen again. That color is beautiful!
Agreed, I like the pink/purple color from the pomegranates as well!
Congrats on getting a real place for a bit! Laura and I did that when we first moved up to New York. Granted, the apartment didn’t work out too well (in our case, it was the neighbors)…but it did give us a little time to learn the area and figure out what we wanted to do. I know you’re excited to settle into a home again (even if it’s short-term). So I love pomegranate, but I’ve never thought about using the arils with goat cheese on a crostini. So creative…and it sounds delicious, too!
Thanks David! Yeah, I think it’s ideal to get more of an idea of a new area before you commit to a more permanent place.. that’s the phase we are in!
I love goat cheese! These look like a tasty way to enjoy it even more
I think people tend to either love it or hate it.. I’m with you, I’m a goat cheese fan!
Glad you have found somewhere to stay for the time being! House hunting in CT is very difficult as it’s an expensive State! But it’s also beautiful! Hope you get to check out my corner of it eventually! Old Lyme is absolutely magical in the fall!
Yes, it is pricey here! After I catch my breath a bit from this crazy move, I will be starting to look again at houses… for now I need a bit of a break haha
I’m glad you’ve gotten settled into your town home Nicole, and it must be so nice getting settled in! I’m always down for a lovely crostini with my favorite goat cheese, and the pomegranate is the perfect festive touch for holiday gatherings!
It definitely is! I’m thinking of using pomegranate for another festive recipe this week. Can’t beat that pretty color for autumn gatherings!
Yay for having a home for the next few months! Especially with all the holidays coming up it will be nice to be settled for a bit! And oh how I love goat cheese … it’s one of the very few dairy things that I wish I could still eat (it was always a huge favorite of mine!). Loving the color on this – so pretty and festive!
So interesting that goat cheese doesn’t bother you like other dairy does! And yes, I am happy to be settled in for the holiday season, so I can just enjoy this time of the year & focus on spending time with loved ones.
I’m so glad you guys are at last temporarily settled in! Selling a house, moving and buying a new house is one of the most stressful things! I hope you can find something perfect now that you aren’t feeling super rushed! Also, these crostini look awesome! 🙂
Thanks, Izzy! Yes, it certainly is stressful… hope that you are loving your new home!