Appetizer number two at Friday's dinner party, her butter and radish toasts, was another easy one. Here's a tip that will make your life significantly easier if you're the kind of person who entertains: bakery counters slice bread for you. This is a great thing to know if you ever want to use a loaf of sourdough for your lunch sandwiches, but it's even better for a party. Toasts or crostini are a major crowd pleaser at any gathering. They can be topped with virtually anything and are relatively easier to put together. The only thing that can get annoying is slicing the baguette. It take time, the bread usually gets smushed, and you're left with crumbs all over your kitchen. Well if you just take that baguette to the counter, they'll slice it right up in perfect little rounds. With that bit of the process taken care of, you can stick them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and let them get toasty while you make the topping. Sooooo much easier.
It's not so big in the US, but in France, radishes with butter and salt is a snack akin to our carrot sticks and ranch dressing. I decided to up upgrade it a bit by using herb butter, which is easy to make. Just mix herbs into butter and put it back in the fridge to set. At least that was my plan. But then I found ready made herb butter at Trader Joe's. That made things even easier (and tastier since they put garlic in theirs). Simply spread the butter on the toasts and top with thinly sliced radishes (I like using a mandolin to get them the right thickness). Since my appetizers are usually heavy and cheese-laden, it was nice to have something a little lighter on the buffet.
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