Peach Bruschetta with Goat Cheese & Infused Honey
When the Manistee Farmers Market opens on summer Saturday mornings you can bet Nicole Knapp will be there. The market is just out the back door (and across a bridge over the Manistee River) from her downtown Manistee restaurant, The Fillmore. “It’s my favorite way to spend a Saturday,” she says.
Customers can often taste her farm market finds on what The Fillmore calls “toast,” a modest name for a chunk of sourdough bread heaped with fresh sweet or savory ingredients. “We cut it into quarters so it is great for sharing on our patio over drinks,” Nicole says. Her recipe below is a baguette riff on the same idea. If fresh peaches aren't available, Nicole says go ahead and substitute fresh berries, pears or even tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 baguette
- Olive oil for brushing baguette
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 3 ripe peaches, grilled briefly, diced
- 10-15 mint or basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
- Rosemary-infused local honey
- Cracked pepper
Directions
Rosemary-Infused Honey: Place a cup of honey in a small pot on the stove. Add 2 to 3 sprigs of rosemary. Warm, on medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, add 2 to 3 teaspoons of water, gently stir. Turn heat off, let the herbs marinate in the honey at room temperature for a few hours, ideally overnight.
Bruschetta: Slice baguette into 1⁄2-inch slices at a diagonal. Brush both sides with olive oil and place on grill (not directly on the fire) or in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Lightly toast, set aside.
In a bowl, mix cream cheese (that is just soft enough to mash with a fork), goat cheese and salt. Mix until smooth, set aside.
Spread a little goat cheese mixture on each bruschetta and top with peaches. Garnish with a few mint or basil ribbons, then drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with cracked pepper.
