Crostini...what's that?

So Hubby and I decided it was time to use up the goat cheese we had leftover from when I made the tomato goat cheese tart awhile back.  It had been in the fridge and I had been trying to figure out what to make with it for awhile and tonight I just decided to go out on a limb and try something new.  I came up with this recipe on my own, and it turned out delicious, so I hope you like it as much as I do.

By the way, crostini is basically just Italian for toast.  But when you get it at restaurants or see it in cookbooks, it generally is toasted bread with some sort of topping or spread on it.  Tonight I made different types of toppings for some tasty crostini.  :)  There are 3 things we had with it, though I only made 2 of them (the other was some spinach artichoke dip we got at Sam's Club that needed to be used up).

Crostini

2 long thin baguettes of crusty French or Italian bread
1 large whole clove garlic
2-3 tbsp olive oil

Slice the bread at an angle into 1/4 inch slices, and then place on baking sheet.  Brush with oil, and bake for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees.  When done baking, let cool slightly and then rub each slice with the garlic clove.  Set aside.  (You'll want to do this close to serving time so it's still warm when you serve)

Goat Cheese Topping

8 oz goat cheese
2 tbsp basil Pesto, homemade, or store bought
1/2 c pine nuts

In a mixing bowl, combine goat cheese and pesto, and beat with hand mixer on low til combined, then whip til smooth and fluffy.  Toast pine nuts over medium heat, watching carefully and tossing occasionally so they don't burn.  Let pine nuts cool, and then stir into goat cheese mixture.  Refrigerate til ready to serve.

Veggie Bruscetta

1 tbsp butter
1 medium zucchini, diced fine
1/2 onion, diced fine
1 eggplant, diced fine
4 oz white mushrooms, chopped fine
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 beefsteak tomato, or 4 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 c water

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Add onion and sauté til almost caramelized over medium heat(takes about 10 minutes, once they are cooked through, if you continue to cook and stir consistently, they will turn a light yellow color and begin to caramelize).  Add zucchini and a pinch of salt and continue to cook.  Add garlic, and stir well to combine, and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add half the water, and cover for 5 minutes to let zucchini steam and become tender.  Add eggplant and another pinch of salt, sauté into the mixture, and then add the rest of the water to steam the eggplant.  When all water is evaporated again, add mushrooms, and then finally tomatoes.  Let simmer for about 10 minutes, letting extra liquid evaporate and the flavors to blend together.

To serve:  I spread some of the goat cheese on half of the bread slices, and then left the other slices free to be topped with other things, but we found when we ate it, we liked the goat cheese spread on the toast, and then to spoon on the veggies on top.  Of course, the artichoke dip was good too.  :)