Is the toast craze still going on? I love toast, particularly with avocado. What I don’t love is paying $15 in restaurants for avocado toast with a slice of bacon garnished with microgreens or tomato mozzarella toast with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprig of basil. It’s delicious, but it’s toast. This recipe isn’t avocado toast. This is a festive toast with lots of flavors, textures and gorgeous colors. It’s toast candy. And, it’s not $15 a portion! As an appetizer, it’s delicious with a cocktail or glass of wine. As a side, it adds familiar flavors in a whole new format. Great for a winter feast ~ like Thanksgiving!
We tried a couple of versions of this toast. Starting first with the whipped maple-bourbon butternut, kale and hazelnuts. Delicious! But then we thought why not add bacon. Of course, it was over the top delicious and perfect with a hint of chipotle. You can easily make this a vegetarian option by eliminating the bacon and honestly, both versions are winners. You’ll end up with a lot more whipped butternut than what is needed for this recipe. Serve it as an additional side or freeze and at a later date, reinvent into a soup or stew.
Makes 8 toasts or 16 appetizer toasts
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small to
medium size butternut squash – halved lengthwise, seeded - 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 T more for the kale saute’ and 2 T more for butternut whip and 2 T more for grilling toast
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 large bunch lacinato kale – ribs removed, rough chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, chopped, divided (approximately 4 tablespoons)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 3 T salted butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 chipotle pepper, chopped (approximately 2 tablespoons)
- 1 T chipotle adobo (optional)
- 1 C organic vegetable stock
- 2 T pure maple syrup
- 3 T bourbon
- 1/4 C heavy cream
- 1 pound good bacon, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
- 8 slices of good artisan bread (if making appetizers, slice the bread to make 16 pieces)
- 1/2 C toasted hazelnuts, rough chopped
- Shaved pecorino (optional)
Preheat oven to 400. Place parchment on sheet pan. Wash the butternut. Then towel dry. You have to get a good grip on this vegetable before slicing into it! I like using a tea towel to hold the squash in place. On a cutting board, cut the butternut in half and scoop out seeds and strands (I often cut the squash in half the short way rather than the long way and then cut those pieces in half. Place each half or quarter of squash onto parchment lined pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. With your hands or brush, completely cover the flesh with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place squash flesh-side up on the sheet pan and into the oven. Roast for about 30 to 40 minutes depending on size of butternut. Once cooked, let cool for 10 – 15 minutes.
In a large skillet, on medium-low heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the kale and cook until it is wilted, about 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons garlic and chopped thyme and cook 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook bacon until crisp. Cut int o bite sized pieces and set aside until assembly.
Once butternut is cooled, scoop out flesh away from the skin. Put into a large bowl and set aside until ready to make butternut whip. In a small mixing bowl, combine maple syrup and bourbon. In a stock pot, on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter and chopped onion. Cook and for 4-5 minutes. Add cinnamon, chipotle, adobo, and vegetable stock. Cook 2 minutes. Add in 2 cups of roasted butternut and the maple syrup bourbon mixture. Cook another 4-5 minutes. With an immersion blender, blend ingredients until smooth. Add cream and blend again. Check for seasoning and add salt & pepper as needed. You can also add more chipotle or adobo if so desired – and then whip again. Butternut should be fluffy and lighter in consistency than whipped potatoes.
On another parchment lined sheet pan, lay out your sliced bread. Lightly drizzle with olive oil making sure to cover edges. Place under broiler until golden brown and toasted on the edges.
To assemble: Lay out toasted bread. Generously spread warm butternut equally on each piece. Top with equal portions of sautéed kale, chopped hazelnuts, bacon and if so desired, shaved pecorino.
- To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the bacon
- To make this recipe vegan, omit bacon and substitute butter with coconut oil
- Butternut whip, bacon and kale can be made a day ahead of serving.
- If you would rather not have bourbon, omit and add in a few more tablespoons of cream.
- These toasts can be enjoyed warm or cold. Best warm though!