Crostini with Peaches and Blue Cheese

I’ve been wanting to try this recipe ever since I talked with Iowa City author Jeremy Jackson about his collection of al fresco recipes, “Good Day for a Picnic.”

That was more than 3 years ago.

(Please tell me I’m not the only one who lets recipes linger that long in the corners of her bookshelf!)

Anyway, it was the combination of ingredients that caught my eye: fresh, sweet summer peaches and tangy Maytag blue cheese. Sounded delicious. And Jeremy’s note at the top of the recipe — “When peaches are in season, I could eat these crostini every day and not get tired of them” — was a pretty good sales pitch, too.

For me, these crostini were love at first bite. I’m not sure they were as popular with my friends, but I was kind of secretly hoping for that, because it meant more crostini for me!

I’m including the recipe as written, but it made way more than 12 crostini for me. At least double that amount, and I had some peaches left over.

Crostini with Peaches and Blue Cheese
Makes 12 crostini

12 thin slices baguette or similar bread (stale bread is fine)
Olive oil, for brushing
3 to 4 ripe peaches
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 to 1 cup blue cheese (preferably Maytag), crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper, optional (I didn’t use any pepper)

Brush the bread slices with just a bit of olive oil, then toast, bake, grill or broil the bread until it’s almost dry.

To peel the peaches, boil them for 30 seconds, then immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water. The skin will come off easily. Slice the peaches into very small and thin pieces and combine them with the balsamic vinegar

Preheat the broiler to low. Arrnage the bread on a baking sheet. Top the bread slices with the peaches an their juices. Put the crumbled cheese on top of the peaches, and add just a touch of black pepper, if desired.

Broil the crostini until the cheese is hot, soft and just touched with brown. Serve at any temperature, preferably within a couple of hours of being made.