Toasted bread with goat's cheese, asparagus and oven-roasted tomatoes

Admittedly, asparagus season hasn't quite started yet. That's why I had actually planned to share a wild garlic recipe here. However, we had heavy snowfall at the start of spring, with up to 15 cm of snow. Perhaps you can understand that I didn't feel like digging for wild garlic in the snow.
So it ended up being an asparagus recipe after all, but with organic green asparagus (even if it does come from Italy), namely my toasted bread with goat's cheese and asparagus, garnished with delicious oven-roasted tomatoes. Happy days!

A great way to use up bread

Really, you can do so much with stale bread! If you search for recipes for stale bread on Google or Pinterest, you'll mostly find ideas for white bread. But brown bread is ideal for crispy bread with any topping! And after brushing it with a little garlic and olive oil and toasting it in the oven for a few minutes, it's just perfect for a great snack or as the basis for a light main course.

Of course, you can prepare my toasted bread with goat's cheese and asparagus just as well with white bread. I'm a big fan of all kinds of variations! But I really like the hearty and more intense flavour of toasted brown bread. It feels like it's more filling (and if it's wholemeal bread rather than mixed grain bread, then that's true).

Incidentally, in the recipe I write that the bread should not be brushed with garlic oil, but rubbed with a peeled garlic clove. This is a good tip, because then the bread doesn't taste too strongly of garlic, but is given a light, delicate aroma. Garlic fans and vampire believers naturally use more garlic, chop it up and let it infuse in olive oil for a few minutes before spreading it all over the bread slices. Then, of course, more is more.

Pure vegetable freedom

As mentioned above, you should let your vegetable imagination run wild. If you read my recipe for toast with goat's cheese and asparagus but don't have any asparagus at home, you don't have to drive hysterically from supermarket to supermarket after work to look for asparagus. Oven-roasted tomatoes work just as well. Or roasted red and yellow pepper strips. Sautéed celery. Courgette slices. Fried aubergine slices. Roasted fennel. Whatever you like. Just use what you have at home and roast it well in the oven or in a pan. This gives it flavour and a good consistency.

I like seasoning at the end best, because it's not just about the taste, but also the aroma and appearance. Freshly grated lemon zest smells wonderful and looks beautiful, as does coarsely ground pepper. Perhaps you also have some fleur de sel at home, which can of course be flavoured.

In the end, I used the ‘Avocado Topping’ spice mix from Just Spices, which worked really well (it goes well with any vegetable, by the way).

Be creative, colourful and free – at the end of the day, that's what cooking is all about! ❤

Are you looking for more ways to use up stale brown bread? Why not try my delicious crispy bread chips!

Toasted bread with goat's cheese, asparagus and oven-roasted tomatoes

These delicious rolls are ideal as a springtime starter, a small main course or on the brunch table.

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Preparation time 1 hour hr

Servings: 4 sclices of bread

Dish: Appetizer

Cuisine: International

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the goat's cheese spread

• 100 ml whipped cream
• a littlebit of lemon peel
• 70 g fresh goat cheese
• Salt, coarsely ground pepper

For bread and vegetables

• 4 slices wholemeal or mixed grain bread
• 250 g green asparagus
• 150 g cherry tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic
• Olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C top/bottom heat.
2. Peel and halve the garlic cloves, then rub them over the bread slices. Next, brush the bread slices with olive oil.
3. Finely chop the halved garlic cloves and place them in an ovenproof dish with the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and mix together.
4. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the bread on it and put the bowl with the tomatoes next to it. Place in the oven.

   Remove the bread slices after about 10 minutes, when they are crispy. Fry the tomatoes for about 25 minutes, then remove and leave to cool.
5. Heat oil in a pan. Cut off the ends of the green asparagus and halve the spears. Fry in the pan until browned.

   Then set aside and allow to cool.
6. For the goat's cheese spread, first whip the cream until very soft and creamy, then add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Spread the spread thickly onto the cooled bread slices.

   Top with the cooled (!) vegetables. (If warm vegetables are placed on the spread, it will liquefy.)

   Sprinkle with grated lemon zest, salt and freshly ground pepper, then serve.

Notes

A little finely grated Parmesan cheese also goes well on the toast at the end.