~Linda Solegato
A couple weeks ago I mentioned that I might have overplanted my lettuce a bit. This is definitely true because now it looks like this.
It’s like a tiny delicious jungle. I knew I had to start thinning out the lettuce plants if I wanted to give any of them a chance to actually grow to full size. I hate thinning though because it feels like such a waste. And I always get this weird paranoia that somehow I’m jinxing the rest of the garden if I start just throwing away perfectly healthy plants. Clearly I’m terrible at sacrificing a few individuals for the greater good. This is one of many, many reasons why I’m not president or a general or cult leader or something.
Luckily, inspiration struck me after reading The Beekman 1802 website and seeing the lovely spring salad the guys made using a whole bunch of untraditional and foraged ingredients (like forsythia flowers and pea shoots). I decided to use the seedlings that I was removing to top a simple crostini. They are perfectly edible so not only was I able to add something fresh from the garden to my meal, I was able to thin the lettuce ‘crop’ at the same time. Being a garden wimp does occasionally pay off.
Crostini with herbed cheese spread and microgreens (this recipe also uses chives and dill from the garden!)
For the cheese spread:
8oz. Neufchatel or cream cheese softened
About a cup ricotta cheese
1-2 tablespoons finely chopped chives (my chives are still pretty young so I used more. If your chives are really strong you can use less)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic
1 tsp grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and let sit in the fridge for at least half an hour before using
To assemble the crostini:
Slice a baguette into half inch slices and toast. I brushed mine with olive oil and toasted them on the grill, but the oven works just as well. Spread each piece of toasted bread with some of the cheese mixture and top with a few of the washed greens.
With the combo of chives, lemon and fresh greens this tastes like Spring on a plate to me. Any leftovers can be used as a dip for veggies.
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