Here's to Toast
Six no-recipe recipe toasts to whip up in four minutes
It is 7 AM. The rays of the morning sun are beginning to bounce off the neighboring buildings into my apartment. It’s my favorite time of day in my living room, but I don’t have much time to enjoy it since I snoozed my alarm three times, and I am on a
ten-minute countdown before I have to bolt out the door for the office.
Despite my daily daydreams of a slow, paper-and-tea morning before the world starts bustling, the reality is that time usually gets away from me, so I rely on a hearty breakfast toast built around whatever ingredients greet me first when I open the fridge.I have developed a sort of equation for these moments:
base layer {cheese} + second layer {fruit or thinly sliced cured meat} + third layer { drizzle of honey or olive oil}
I intentionally kept the framework repetitive to show you that these “recipes” are just a suggestion, not a rule. If you don't have brie, reach for goat cheese or a good cottage cheese. No prosciutto? Clean out the fridge with deli ham or turkey. Trust your palate—you have the intuition to make this your own.
Dates, Mascarpone & Prosciutto Toast
Toss a hearty slice of sourdough or two into the toaster. While it is toasting, roughly chop a few dates, tear a couple of pieces of prosciutto, and take the mascarpone out of the fridge. Once the toast is ready, I like to grab a garlic clove and rub it over both sides of the bread and drizzle olive oil. Then, once slightly cooled (I don’t want the mascarpone to melt), I will spread a nice layer of the mascarpone, layer it with the prosciutto di Parma, dot it with dates, and finish it once more with a healthy drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt.
Bosc & Brie Toast
Toss a slice of bread into the toaster until golden brown then drizzle some extra virgin olive oil. Slice off a knob of brie and smear it across the toast. Thinly slice about a 1/4 of a pear and lay it across the toast on top of the brie, and finish with a healthy drizzle of honey and a few cracks of pepper.
Jambon Beurre
This iconic French delight begins with generous slices of premium, subtly salty ham (I enjoy using prosciutto), perfectly complemented by a rich, creamy layer of butter. All of this is nestled within the crisp, airy embrace of fresh bread. It is a humble masterpiece where the quality of each ingredient shines, creating a symphony of savory, buttery, and slightly sour notes.
Spread butter on quality, fresh or toasted bread, then layer a small mountain of thinly sliced ham or prosciutto. Voila, transports you right to Paris.
Brie, Pesto layered with torn Mortadella and Toasted Pepitas
You know the drill by now: toss a piece of bread in the toaster. Once done, drizzle with olive oil and knob off a piece of creamy brie and spread it across the warm toast. Smear fresh pesto (this is great when you have leftover from a pasta sauce, I always like to have some in my freezer for dinner when I’m in a pinch, you can grab the recipe here) across the brie. Layer with torn mortadella, toasted pepitas, and finish with a silky touch of extra-virgin olive oil.
Plum, Tomato, and Ricotta Toast
Scoop a couple of heaping spoonfuls of ricotta into a small bowl. Drizzle in a good dollop of honey and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Taste to see if you need to add more honey and then set aside. Toast up a slice of sourdough, thinly slice half a plum, and halve a couple of cherry tomatoes.
Smear the ricotta across the golden toast. Arrange the plums across the toast and dot with the tomatoes. Finish with a drizzle of honey and a couple of cranks of pepper.
Amped-Up Bruschetta
Halve a handful of cherry tomatoes and toss them in a bowl. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and torn basil. Mix and set aside. Cut 3-4 mozzarella ciliegine (cherry-sized mozzarella balls). Toast up a slice of bread and rub a garlic clove on one side of the bread with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and put it on your plate. Place the mozzarella cut side down across the bread, but make sure you leave some empty pockets. Fill in the empty spaces with the marinated tomatoes and drizzle with balsamic glaze and a few cranks of pepper.
Much more to come,
Until the next measure,
Kelly