I love having guests. Whether it be for an evening or a weekend, taking care of those temporarily staying at my place has always been a favorite past time. During high school my nickname was “The Hostess with the Mostest” for my love of party-throwing and general affection to having people stay at my house. In college I found myself cooking for our newspaper’s fellow staff workers and making dinners every weekend at my friends’ apartments. Now, being the grownup I am (/sarcasm), I get to entertain guests staying at my apartment!

My oldest sister D visited me last weekend for a little overnight getaway and I had this delicious and light appetizer waiting for when she arrived. Creamy ricotta mixed with pungent goat cheese and lemon zest spread on garlic toasts. Something great to nosh on while she freshened up after her car ride but not too filling with the knowledge we’d be going out to dinner in a few hours. Not too fancy but the perfect thing to make your guest feel special.

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Crostini with Ricotta & Goat Cheese Spread

The flavor gets better the longer it sits, so feel free to make this a day in advance. Just let it come to room temperature so it’s easy to spread.

Based on the recipe from Giada deLaurentiis.

Ingredients

• 1 skinny French baguette, cut into ¼-inch thick slices
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
• 4 oz. fresh soft goat cheese at room temperature
• ¼ cup whole milk ricotta cheese at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.) Brush baguette slices with oil, dust with salt and pepper, then grill or broil until toasted. Rub hot bread with garlic cloves until they dissolve.

2.) In a small bowl, stir together 1 tsp. olive oil, goat cheese, ricotta, basil, chives, lemon zest, and juice. Taste for seasoning.

3.) Spread goat cheese mixture over crostini and garnish with lemon zest.