Truffle Oil Rubbed Goat Cheese Crostini with Muscadine & Cherry Reduction + Black Lava Salt & Blue Curry

Wow. That was a mouthful.

Good thing it was a tasty one! I never play around with appetizers or "finger foods", which is really surprising since I'm a party person, and what's a party without horderves?

 I'll answer that for you. Nothing. I think that's honestly why I enjoy parties so much.

Something I've been into recently is utilizing our herbs. We've always had a really nice selection in our backyard, but I've just never incorporated them into my dishes. I mean we had herbs I didn't even know we planted, heck, herbs that I didn't even know existed. Like blue curry...

Now this is kind of embarrassing, but I found out we had blue curry by grabbing a few sprigs while making my

Olive Oil Orange & Rosemary Loaf

the other day, assuming it was rosemary. After I looked at it a while, I showed my mom saying "I think our rosemary bush is dying..." The two look almost identical, except for the color. Blue curry has a light grey-ish, green hue to it. 

Thankfully I caught on before I had a curried loaf of bread. Who knows though, it could've been a breakthrough. 

Instead of just throwing out the hearty handful I picked off, somehow, when I thought I was done cooking for the day, I found myself standing in front of the stove, stirring a pot of muscadine grapes that needed to be used, infused with, guess what... blue curry.

I really had no idea of what I was making besides a reduction. So after a long process of tasting, more cleaning, and a lot of straining, my beautiful rosy red sauce found its way in the fridge, unused. 

The next day my mom and I went to pick up some groceries, or a lot of groceries for my family, and while I was lugging around a basket that was bending so much it was about to pop, trying to track down my mom who had the cart, I spotted a lonely loaf of french bread, perfect for a crostini.

I'm not a very simple person. I like things bold. That's why when I cook, I get so lost in flavors and can't focus my mind on a certain set of spices or ingredients. 

So of course, when I'm given a blank canvas, like a crostini, I go overboard. 

Luckily, this overboard worked. 

Goat Cheese & Truffle Oil Crostini 

w/ Muscadine & Blue Curry Reduction

For the reduction:

1 qt. muscadine grapes

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tbs. balsamic

1 1/2 tbs. coconut sugar

1/4 cup dried cherries

2 tbs. plain cherry juice

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbs. fresh chopped blue curry

French Baguette 

Truffle Oil- 1 tbs.

Olive Oil- 2 tbs. 

Black Lava Salt

Chopped Blue Curry

Plain Goat Cheese

For the reduction start by throwing all the ingredients into a medium pot, except the dried cherries. Cook on medium heat until the grapes start to pop. Bring to a high boil, and then to a simmer. Cook down for 15 minutes. Strain sauce to remove all seeds from grapes. Place back in pot with the cherries and bring to another boil for about 5 minutes. Turn off once thickened.

At 400º, sprinkle with black pepper and bake thin baguette slices rubbed with a mixture of olive oil and truffle oil (you can add more if need but keep it to a 2-1 ratio, olive to truffle) for 10 minutes. Turn to a broil and let crisp up and turn golden brown. Keep an eye on it.

Spread with softened goat cheese, drizzle with reduction, and sprinkle with black lava salt and fresh blue curry.

                                                                                                                       XOXO

                                                                                                                                   -Cecilia A.