Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese and Apple Chutney

This is an absolutely too die for appetizer.  The recipe is originally from 128 Cafe in St Paul, Minnesota.  Many years ago, in 1999 to be exact, Bon Appetit published it in the October edition of their magazine. Don't let the seemingly odd combination of ingredients fool you.  They blend together wonderfully.

To begin, you will need some garlic.  These were small heads, so I used all three.

Cut the very top of the head of garlic off

place it on a piece of foil and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Wrap each head individually in the foil and roast it in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. 

While the garlic is roasting, prepare the chutney.  Combine 1/2 cup of brown sugar

and 1/2 cup of rice vinegar in a small sauce pan and heat over low heat.

Next, mince two cloves of garlic.

Peel

and grate 3/4 teaspoon of fresh ginger.

Add one cinnamon stick and sprinkle with an 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

When the sugar has dissolved, add all four ingredients to the saucepan and stir.

To finish the chutney, you will need one Granny Smith apple and two Roma tomatoes.

Peel, core and cut the apple into small pieces.

Add 1/2 cup of golden raisins.

Once the sugar mixture is reduced to about 1/4 cup and syrupy, add the apples and raisins.

Stir to combine and cook on high heat until the apples are tender, about ten minutes.

While the apples are boiling, take a few springs of mint

and chop, combining in a bowl with the chopped tomatoes.

When the apples are tender, remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

Once cool, combine the apple and tomato mixtures.

and stir to combine.

When the garlic has cooled, unwrap it from the foil and squeeze the cloves out of head.

To prepare the crostini, slice a French baguette into 1/3-inch-thick slices

and brush with olive oil. 

Bake in 450 degree oven for 8 minutes.

Put the chutney, roasted garlic and one log of goat cheese on a platter.

This is a hands on appetizer.  Smear the crostini with goat cheese.

Smash a clove or two of roasted garlic on top of that.

Finally, top with apple chutney.

Yum!  I took these pictures last week, but I might have to make this again today, just for myself, because my mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Enjoy!

Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese and Apple Chutney  
serves: 4  (Recipe also on epicurious)

• 3 heads of garlic
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 t fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/8 t cayenne pepper
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 c golden raisins
• 2 small Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 T mint, chopped
• 1 French baguette
• olive oil
• 6 ounces fresh goat cheese

Cut the very top of the head of garlic off, place on a piece of foil and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Wrap each head individually in the foil and roast it in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

For the chutney, combine 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of rice vinegar in a small sauce pan and heat over low heat until the sugar dissolves.  Add garlic, ginger, cinnamon and cayenne and simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes.  Mix in the apple and raisins and boil until apples are tender, about 10 minutes.  Cool to room temperature and mix in tomatoes and mint.

To prepare the crostini, slice a French baguette into 1/3-inch-thick slices and brush with olive oil.  Bake in 450 degree oven for 8 minutes.

Serve chutney, roasted garlic, goat cheese and crostini together and allow guests to assemble their own appetizers.