Cantaloupe Crostini Food

MELON GAZPACHO WITH HAM CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium. Place 4 soup bowls in the freezer. Thread the chile and garlic on a skewer. Brush the chile-garlic skewer, bell pepper and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill until well marked, about 4 minutes per side. Add the bread halfway through and grill until toasted, about 2 minutes per side.
• Transfer the grilled bell pepper, onion, chile and garlic to a blender. Add 6 cups cantaloupe, the vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Puree until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the soup to a medium bowl set inside a large bowl of ice to chill. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cold, at least 10 minutes.
• While the soup chills, spread the aïoli on the grilled bread and top with the ham. Finely dice the remaining 1 cup cantaloupe. Serve the soup in the chilled bowls and top with the diced cantaloupe, parsley and a few grinds of pepper. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Serve with the ham crostini.

CANTALOUPE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Slice baguette into 1/4-inch-thick slices; brush each with olive oil. Toast on a cookie sheet at 350°F until golden brown, 10 minutes. Thinly spread cheese on crostinis. Top each with a slice of cucumber and a cube of cantaloupe.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CROSTINI WITH MELON SALSA CRUDO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut the loaf of bread in half crosswise, then cut each half lengthwise into 1-inch thick slices. Lay the slices in a single layer on baking sheets. Generously drizzle the top side of each slice with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the slices. Cook in the oven until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.
• Marinate the onions in the vinegar for 5 minutes. While the onion is marinating, peel, seed and dice the melon and place in a bowl. Add the diced melon to the onions, season with salt and stir to blend together. Add the minced parsley and stir to combine.
• Wrap the end of each crostini with a piece of prosciutto. Arrange on a platter and spoon a tablespoon of melon salsa on each and serve. Serve remaining salsa on the side.

CROSTINI

Steps:

• Set the oven to broil at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, butter and garlic. Set over medium heat, and cook until butter has melted and the mixture starts to bubble. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• Dip each slice of bread into the garlic mixture, turning to coat each side. Place Parmesan cheese on a plate. Press one side of each piece of bread into the cheese, and place cheese side up on a baking sheet.
• Broil on the middle rack of the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.