Olivada Crostini Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Arrange bread slices in one layer on 2 baking sheets and sprinkle half with Parmesan. Toast slices in upper and lower thirds of oven until crisp and golden, 8 to 12 minutes, and cool. Crostini may be made 2 weeks ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
• In a colander or sieve drain tomatoes well, pressing gently on solids to squeeze out as much liquid as possible, and blot with paper towels. Chop tomatoes fine. In a bowl stir together tomatoes, oil, garlic paste, parsley, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Put a heaping teaspoon tomato mixture on each Parmesan crostino and top with 1/4 teaspoon olive paste. Spread each plain crostino with 1/2 teaspoon olive paste. Spread each plain crostino with 1/2 teaspoon olive paste and top with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon tomato mixture.
• Garnish crostini with parsley leaves.

Steps:

• Blend olives, oil, pine nuts, and garlic in a processor. Season with salt and pepper (can be made one week ahead and refrigerated).
• Cut bell pepper into slices and set aside.
• Slice French bread into slices on a diagonal.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, 10 minutes.
• Spread olive paste on toasts. Top with bell pepper slices.