Dear readers,
When my family lived in Hong Kong, there was a restaurant called Harlan’s that was housed in the new (then) IFC buildings downtown. Now, the reason I’m starting out with this is because, they had a white bean puree that was served with warm, crusty bread and it knocked our socks off. So much so, my mom and I tried to recreate it immediately after (unsuccessfully) and then I tried again when I started this blog, and while I got close, it wasn’t…quite there. WELL, now we come to the reason I tried once more, and I’m pretty sure this. is. it…the birthday party from earlier this year! Thinking about vegan/veggie options, I did gravitate towards a tapenade crostini (I flipping love olives, but not everyone does), so instead I happened upon the idea of a white bean puree and said, alright, we’ll try one more time. In comparing recipes from the last one I had to the ones I was poking around with, I just wasn’t excited and realized it was all going to just be the same thing over again, and if you know anything about me, I really don’t want or like to serve anything that isn’t pretty much a slam dunk. So I pondered what I could do to punch up the recipe I had already, and then it hit me…ROASTED. GARLIC. And not just a clove or two…a whole head of roasted garlic…and readers, that was it. That. Was. It. BOOM! And then I jazzed it up by roasting some acorn squash (would do butternut squash next time for the better color), which was also the right move to make!!
Plus it pairs great with my Quick Bruschetta and Herb Carrot Salad!!!
P.S. Don’t forget that you can order cookies from me directly from my Cookie Order Page on this very same blog! (Yes, shameless plug, but I need to keep pushing it!)
Hoping you are safe and well!
— Cooking Maggie
On Roasted Garlic White Bean Puree Crostini with Roasted Squash
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 butternut squash
- 2 cans of white beans (cannellini), drained
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced, and more minced for topping
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup olive oil (you may not use all of it)
- 1 baguette, sliced and toasted
Instructions
- For the garlic: Heat oven to 400F. Slice the top off your garlic to expose your cloves, then drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Wrap your bulb in foil and stick it in the oven for 30-40 minutes until soft and fragrant, then let it sit and cool down a little, then pop out all the gorgeous garlic cloves.
- For the Squash: Peel your squash of it’s shell, cut in half, and scoop out seeds. Cut up your squash into small 1/4″ cubes. In a large sautee pan, over medium low heat, add a little oil to the pan, then add in your squash. Cook for 5-10 minutes until soft, and season with a little salt and pepper. Set aside.
- For the Puree: Add your beans, roasted garlic cloves, rosemary, and lemon juice to a food processor, and combine thoroughly. Add your olive oil a little at a time till you reach a nice, light, fluffy consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, then spoon a small dollop onto each slice of your baguette, and top with the squash and a sprinkle of the extra minced rosemary. Then eat it all and leave none for your guests! (Joking!!)
The Real Cooking Maggie 