Day Fifty-Four: A Crostini for a glass of Asti

Happy April Fool's Day Folks! Did you get a joke played on you today? Whoopie cushion on your desk chair? A plastic mouse under your feet? Thankfully, I didn't have the pleasure of being on the receiving end of a prankster either at the office or outside....

As an aperitif this evening I had a glass of Asti, a sweet Italian sparkler good for the pre evening drink or even at the end of a meal with dessert, it is celebratory, cheap, and delish. Even good, as previously discussed with brunch because it is so light...So I thought instead of pairing the Asti with Oysters which is what I did (not overly successful, Oysters need something more like a Cava or Champagne, sparkling and light as well but not nearly as sugary sweet as the Asti), we would pair it with a twist on a typical blue cheese honey crostini, something sweet and savory.

Blue cheese and honey is a very typical pairing -- the piquant qualities of the blue cheese balanced out nicely with the sweet gooeyness of the honey...here we will make a few adjustments to the typical pairing so that it pairs excellently with the Asti.

For the blue cheese we will utilize Old Chatham Sheepherding Company's Ewe's Blue. An American artisanal blue cheese made in the Roquefort style from one hundred percent sheep's milk. It is a classic blue that delights and awakeness the tastebuds, not too harsh but just piquant enough. To go with the citrus and honey flavors in the Asti we will pair this with an orange blossom honey that will complement the blue and the Asti perfectly. On top I like to slice a few dried figs and some pinenuts for crunch - sweetness, saltiness, creamyness, and crunchyness all rolled into one. I think this is best served on freshly toasted french baguette so that you are able to experience all the flavors independently and the tastes of the bread do not overwhelm the delicate tastes of your crostini.

Enjoy the crostini with a late afternoon/early evening glass of Asti and toast the springtime weather that is hopefully here to stay. Check back tomorrow for GCF. Wouldn't want to keep you all reading for too long on such a lovely evening, go out and enjoy!!