Crostini with Three Toppings

Crostini—toasted or grilled bread with various toppings—is always a crowd-pleaser. The word means “little toasts” in Italian, and that’s the guiding principle for us—a small bite of bread with a flavorful dollop on top. Here, we offer crostini with three different Jewish-inspired spreads—caponata alla Giudea, mushroom chopped “liver,” and a bean purée. Caponata originated in Sicily and, according to Claudia Roden, was associated with the large Jewish community that lived on the island from Roman times until the beginning of the sixteenth century. Across the continent in Eastern Europe, chopped liver was one of the best-known Jewish foods. The first vegetable chopped “liver” may have come from kosher dairy restaurants, where meat was not served, but restaurateurs wanted to include a beloved dish on the menu. Our version, made with mushrooms, is much healthier than the liver-based original. Finally, we like to joke that our white bean purée is North American hummus. While we love the original chickpea hummus and make it all the time, it’s also fun to experiment with all types of beans, including fava, cranberry, flageolet, and other beans native to Europe and the Americas.

For the toasts: Slice your favorite bread ¼ inch thin and cut it into pieces no larger than 2 inches across. You want the pieces to be bite size. Toast or grill and brush with olive oil, then top with the caponata, chopped “liver,” or bean purée.

Caponata

The key to making this is to cut the eggplant small so that it cooks through evenly. If you undercook the eggplant, it will have a spongy consistency.

MAKES 8 CUPS

2 eggplants (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

¼ cup pine nuts

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 anchovy fillet, minced

1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons tomato paste

¼ cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

½ cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped

1 roasted red bell pepper, jarred or homemade (see here for roasting instructions), coarsely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons basil leaves cut into ribbons

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Place the eggplant in a colander set over a large bowl. Toss with the 1 tablespoon salt, top with a plate, and weigh it down with several cans. Let the eggplant drain for 1 hour. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry with paper towels.

Meanwhile, in a small dry skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat, watching closely and stirring often, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the eggplant and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to a medium bowl. Repeat in 2 batches with the remaining eggplant and 4 more tablespoons of oil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and heat. Add the onion and anchovy and sauté, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and celery, increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the eggplant, pine nuts, raisins, capers, olives, and bell pepper.

Season with salt and pepper and cool to room temperature. Spread the caponata on the crostini and garnish with the basil and parsley.

Mushroom Chopped “Liver”

This is best made the day of, but it’s also delicious prepared a day or two ahead. Keep it refrigerated, then bring to room temperature to serve. You can also use this as a crudité dip.

MAKES 2 CUPS

¼ cup dried currants

3 tablespoons cider vinegar or wine

⅓ cup olive oil

1½ cups chopped onions (about 2 medium onions)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 pound domestic button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

1 pound fresh wild mushrooms (any combination of maitake, beech, or other mushrooms), trimmed

1 teaspoon honey

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Fresh thyme or oregano leaves (optional)

Place the currants in a small bowl, add the vinegar, and set aside to plump, about 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over low heat, add the onions and garlic, and sauté until soft and golden, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the button mushrooms, sauté for 4 minutes, then add the wild mushrooms. Sauté until slightly cooked, 2 minutes more. Add the currants and vinegar, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat, add the honey and red pepper flakes, and season with salt and thyme and oregano, if using. Spoon into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse chop 7 times, until the mixture is coarse but spreadable. Serve warm or at room temperature on crostini.

White Bean Purée

Here’s the reason to keep a few cans of organic white beans in your pantry at all times. This recipe is easy and flavorful. It also has endless uses in addition to topping crostini—you can, for example, serve it with crudités or use it as a sandwich schmear or to thicken a vegetable soup.

MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

3 rosemary sprigs at least 3 inches long

2 (15-ounce) cans white cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¾ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons warm vegetable stock or water, if needed

In a small skillet, heat the oil over low heat. Add the garlic and sauté until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rosemary, remove the skillet from the heat, and set aside to steep, about 10 minutes. Remove sprigs.

In a food processor, combine the cooled oil mixture with the beans, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse to chop, about 30 seconds, then process until the mixture is smooth, about 4 minutes. If needed, add vegetable stock to achieve a spreadable but not runny texture. Adjust the seasoning, transfer to a serving bowl, and drizzle with additional oil. Serve on crostini.