Putting All Kinds of Stuff on Bread - Autumn Edition

I've been made fun of multiple times in the past for my love of the word "crostini," but no one complains when shoveling delicious bread boats into their mouths. Crostini, or Tiny Fancy Open-Faced Sandwiches, are by far the easiest and most versatile food for entertaining. I whipped these up for my birthday pot luck last month:

Roasted Kabocha Squash, Ricotta & Basil (left)

I'm sure you can use butternut squash or pumpkin but I love kabocha. Normally if I'm making anything that resembles mashed potatoes, I add about a stick of butter, but the kabocha is SO good on its own, it really didn't need any. Here's what you need:

Bread of your choosing
Ricotta cheese
Basil
1 kabocha squash
Olive oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt, pepper, whatever other spices you like (I used togarashi - because I do in everything)

Preheat oven to 400 and roughly peel your kabocha - the rind is fine to eat so don't worry about getting it all off. Cut into slices, toss with oil and lay in a pan - roast until soft, about 20 minutes. Throw them all in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add your spices and a few slashes of apple cider vinegar to taste. The squash mash is so good on its own!

When you're ready to serve, toast the bread of your choice, spread on some ricotta, then a layer of your squash mash and top with chopped basil. Amazing.

Goat Cheese, Avocado and Tomato (right)

What you need:
Lemon juice
Balsamic Vinegar
Cherry tomatoes
1 4 oz. log of goat cheese
2 avocados
Salt and Pepper
Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce

Mix goat cheese, avocados, lemon juice, salt and pepper and sriracha into a bowl.
Cut your tomatoes and toss with a little balsamic vinegar, season to taste.
When ready, toast your bread, then spread on the goat cheese mixture and pop back in the oven for a couple minutes until warm. Top with tomatoes.