Proscuitto, Manchego & Strawberry Crostini

About 1/2 a baguette
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus some to drizzle
1 cup sliced strawberries
8 slices fresh proscuitto, torn in half lengthwise
16 slices of Manchego (or other preffered cheese)
Fresh basil, leaves torn off stems
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Fresh ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper (optional)



Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice your baguette into thin slices and brush with olive oil. Spread slices on a baking sheet and bake until toasty, about 10 minutes. You can serve your crostini hot or cold.


Meanwhile, take your proscuitto and wrap it around the manchego, slice your strawberries, tear off some basil leaves and try not to eat all the ingredients before you get a chance to assemble them.




I do an assembly line because I realize that if I do them one at a time they get eaten as I make them and I never get to take a picture of a whole plate.


First go the crostini, top with proscuitto wrapped manchego, then a piece of basil, drizzle with balsamic and olive oil, grind some pepper over the top, add crushed red pepper flakes if you like things spicy and finally top with a slice of strawberry.




Don't skip the strawberry, it adds the perfect balance to the saltiness of the proscuitto and manchego. We tried it with and without and ended up eating all of them with the strawberries. It adds a freshness that is just fantastic.


I can't even tell you how many normal people this would serve. In our house this may or may not have served just two. But I couldn't say for sure.