Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Crostini

One evening, with people coming to dinner and nothing to give them with drinks, I threw together some simple crostini that proved to be a big hit. Now I regularly pass them around as we gather for a prosecco or martini in the kitchen while I cook dinner. I make these often, but there is no real recipe since what I put in depends on what's I happen to have in the fridge and on the shelf.

But here's an indicative recipe:

1. Mix together 1 cup of freshly packed ricotta, 2 tablespoons of Greek style yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of best quality olive oil.
2. Add 5 or 6 sun-dried tomatoes, diced as finely as possible, and about 1/3 cup of mixed chopped olives (I use pitted oil-cured and Gaeta olives but any kind, including ones with herbs or garlic, will do).
3. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, a bit of salt and a good grinding of fresh pepper.
4. Spread on small pieces of toasted bread - slices of baguette or a country bread of some kind - and top with a little fleur de sel and a small drizzle of olive oil.

Quantities are approximate and everything in this recipe is optional except the ricotta and the sun-dried tomatoes. You can add crème fraîche instead of yogurt, dispense with both and use more olive oil. Or add chopped herbs. Whatever you like.

Bobby Jay