White Bean Crostini

I slept in today, and still I am really tired. I cooked the whole weekend, preparing food for my fathers birthday party. I made quite a few things, with the help of my boyfriend, but to be honest, I did not have the energy or time to photograph a thing. I really wanted to share more of what I cooked, but after standing in the kitchen for two days straight, and not sleeping much (because I still wanted to go to that other birthday party), I crushed into bed for a 20 minute nap once the guests were happily eating.I am okay with that. I enjoyed cooking for my father, and his guests. Watching my father and his family and friends and coworkers connect over the food I made, I knew that every minute spend in the preparation was a minute well spent.

Of the things we made, the one my boyfriend and I loved most were these white bean crosti
ni. I losely adapted them from a recipe out of the Mozza cookbook. The idea to pair a white bean puree with caramelized chicoree is theirs, but I did not follow the recipe for the white bean puree. Their version asks for lots of garlic, but mine is more mellow and subtle, only using lemon zest and olive oil, plus salt. I exceeded my garlic limit after making the garlic confit from the same cookbook, and really, I think the puree was better for it. As much as I love garlic, sometimes it can be a bit too much, and overpower other more sublte notes.

White Bean Crostini

for the white bean puree:
1/2 pound canellini beans, dried
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, to taste

to assemble:
1 cicorino rosso, leaves torn into pieces about the same size as the slices of bread you use
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp aceto balsamico
2-3 tsp sugar

baguette
olive oil
1-2 tbsp za'atar (optional)

Soak the beans a day ahead, at least a few hours. Cook them until very soft. In a food processor, puree them until smooth. Add the olive oil, the lemon zest and salt and only give it a quite stir to mix well. Set aside.
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and saute the leaves of the cicorino rosso until wilted. Add the balsamic vinegar and the sugar and let it cook for a minute or so. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, add a bit of olive oil and toast the slices of bread in the olive oil. Alternativly, if you make more than just a few crostini at a time, you can also toast them in the oven at 350°F/180°C for 10 minutes or so until browned. Just brush them with a little olive oil before baking.

To assemble, place a leav of the caramelized cicorino rosso on each slice of bread, top with a tablespoon or so of the white bean puree and sprinkle with a bit of the za'atar.