Porter Date Jam Crostini with Prosciutto, Arugula and Goat Cheese
Jackie Dodd-Mallory
(Senior Editor)
If there was any doubt about how much I like self-torture, you can defer to this: I’m writing another cookbook.
My first cookbook, The Craft Beer Cookbook took four months and most of my sanity to write. And here I am, doing it again. Maybe it’s the post publisher amnesia, maybe it’s that I had such a great time on the book tour, or maybe it’s that I like self inflicted torment.
Either way I’m nearing the half way point of writing my second cookbook. The topic this time is appetizers and party food. Craft beer lends itself to party food. The community of people that beer draws, and the flavors of the great beer that those craft beer people create just have to be shared. A book about food that’s at the center of a gathering of good beer and great people is therapeutic for me right now. It’s a reminder of the good parts of these lives we live, that the Quality of Life that we all strive for has more to do with who we share it with any other peripheral accessories that the world can offer.
A book about food that’s meant to be shared with people we love, I can’t think of anything I’d rather spend my time creating.
Porter Date Jam Crostini with Prosciutto, Arugula and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 tbs olive oil
- ½ cup white onions
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup smoked porter
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs molasses not black strap
- 15 madjool dates about 8 wt oz, pitted and chopped
- 1 long french baguette
- 4 wt oz goat cheese crumbled
- 4 wt oz prosciutto sliced
- 1/3 cup baby arugula leaves
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onions until soft. Stir in the garlic, then the porter, vinegar, molasses and dates.
- Simmer until the dates have softened and broken down and the beer has reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about ten minutes.
- Add to a food processor and process until mostly smooth.
- Preheat broiler. Cut the baguette into 24, 1-inch slices. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler until golden brown. Flip the slices over and place back under the broiler until golden brown on the other side.
- Spread each slice with porter date jam, top with crumbled goat cheese, prosciutto and arugula.
Comments
Averie @ Averie Cooks June 9, 2014 um 12:10 am
Congrats for doing it again…publisher amnesia, oh boy, anyone who’s written two can totally relate. LOL SO TRUE!! And seriously though, being halfway done, and still finding time to blog…you’re fabulous!!!
Tieghan June 9, 2014 um 5:56 am
Hang in there!! That has too be so hard!!
Love these crostini. They sound amazing!
Samantha June 9, 2014 um 1:16 pm
These look heavenly! Best of luck on your second book venture!
Sara June 9, 2014 um 2:34 pm
ha! that’s how folks have loads of kids! the amnesia! so exciting and not shocking- your first effort was awesome! Godspeed on your sophomore attempt
Maggie June 9, 2014 um 4:25 pm
Wow! These look AMAZING and if I was at a party with these I would be posted up right next to the plate. Yes, please! Can’t wait for the second book.
Olivia June 9, 2014 um 9:25 pm
You’re writing another book?! Yay for me! I love your first one so much.
I want to tell you have great posts, have a nice day!
Happy Valley Chow June 10, 2014 um 5:29 am
Wow! What an amazing dish…beautiful with a ton of amazing flavors. You had me at prosciutto and goat cheese!
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Lisa June 11, 2014 um 5:40 am
Awesome! Its truly so so so so so good!
shala June 13, 2014 um 6:54 am
YOU’RE WRITING ANOTHER BOOK?! YAY!
Kim June 13, 2014 um 12:30 pm
I can’t wait for your next book! Loved the first and gave it tom y hubby’s homebrewing friend who loved it too. Appetizers and party food are right up my alley! Hope it’s out soon as we have his 30 year of homebrewing party in Aug. and everyone is to bring food cooked with beer.
addie | culicurious June 18, 2014 um 10:12 am
Congrats on the second book! 🙂 I’m definitely going to snatch up that one. Party foods are my favorite foods.
Kris February 24, 2015 um 5:53 pm
I belong to a women’s only beer club and the theme this month is cooking with beer, where you make something with beer and also bring some of the same beer to sample. I am making this as my contribution. I made the jam part today (a day ahead of time out of necessity) with Dark Horse Brewing Co. Fore Smoked Stout. I subbed some shallots for the white onion because it’s what I had. It tastes great! I can’t wait to try the finished product tomorrow.