A Crostini Array #SundayFunday

July is National Picnic Month! And I am hosting the Sunday Funday group this week.

Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Sue of Palatable Pastime, Rebekah of Making Miracles, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm coordinate this low-stress group; we only participate when we are inspired. This week, as I already mentioned, I invited the group: "July is National Picnic Month. On this last Sunday of the month, let's share our favorite that are in our picnic baskets. Appetizers, main dishes, desserts, and drinks. All fair game. Join me." Here's the line-up of what we are sharing...

• A Crostini Array by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Bacon & Chive Deviled Eggs with Hot Honey by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

• Chocolate Truffle Cookies by Karen's Kitchen Stories

• Eggless Brookies /Brownie Cookies by Sneha's Recipe

• Grill Cake (and Vanilla Cake Recipe) by Amy's Cooking Adventures

• Lentil Mushroom Feta Calzones by Food Lust People Love

• Lobster Roll Pasta Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Mayo-less Tuna Salad by Our Good Life

A Summer Picnic

Here on California's central coast, we have been socked in with fog for weeks. But the sun peeked out for an afternoon and D and I picked up sandwiches for a picnic that actually felt like summer!

I am not a huge fan of sandwiches, actually. I vastly prefer crostini. Crostini means 'little toasts' in Italian. They start with perfectly crisped pieces of bread and are a canvas for any combination of flavors that you can imagine.

A Crostini Array

Here is a matrix of toppings I handed to my kitchen helpers for an event. They made some kick-ass gorgeous crostini with this bare bones of instruction.

But it all starts with the toasts...

Ingredients

• baguette

• olive oil

• also needed: baking sheet

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a bread knife to cut baguette into 1/2-inch slices. Lay the bread on a baking sheet; I can usually get 30 pieces on a sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 4 minutes. Flip over and bake for an additional 4 minutes. Let cool completely before topping.

Now you can top them with whatever you wish. Be creative!

That's a wrap for my #SundayFunday event. Next week we will be back with actual sandwiches when Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm hosts. Stay tuned!