To make this easy appetizer: bake Crostini, top with jarred red pepper sauce and add a single fried quail egg to each slice. Finish with a sprinkle of snipped herbs and freshly ground pepper. The result is irresistible!
Turning a Corner
School is back in session. The air has grown cool. My Autumn Joy Sedum are turning crimson and a few errant leaves, tired and confused after an indifferent summer, are beginning to drift from their branches with the passing breeze. Fall is definitely in the air.
The farmer’s market will close for the season in a few short weeks. I will miss the stalls of bright flowers, the baklava and gyros, the Cheesecake Shooters, the mini cupcakes and delicious Herb-Infused Limeade. Maybe most of all, I will miss the quail eggs. They were a delight to work with this summer.
That said, I am looking forward to autumn. It fact it may be my favorite time of year. And I have a lot of great recipes I am hoping to post as the seasons change. For instance:
- I plan to post the recipe for one of my favorite take-and-share desserts, Austrian Cream Cheese Bars.
- I also have a couple of delightful ghost desserts, My Own Sweet Ghost Cake and then some mini ghosts on a Haunted Stump Cake, to add a little atmosphere to a Halloween party.
- For dinner, I am sharing some old family recipes including Gram’s Galumpki and Uncle Hal’s Biscuits.
- And finally, for Christmas, I am excited to write about one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes, Pecan Praline Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting.
Easy Appetizers
Meanwhile, I have a dozen quail eggs, a loaf of French bread, and some other items I picked up at the market last week. What that is starting to look like in my mind’s eye is a delicious tray of Quail Egg Bruschetta. They might be appetizers or they might be served as a protein rich side to a big dinner salad. In any case, these pretty Bruschetta hint at seasonal transitions. Bright with late summer color and flavor they are substantial enough to appeal to cool weather appetites.
Even better, they are easy. I simply baked Crostini, topped them with Piquillo Pepper Bruschetta and a single fried quail egg. For a garnish I added a sprinkling of snipped herbs from my own backyard garden. The result was irresistible!
Note: I used a jar of Piquillo Pepper Bruschetta by Elki as my Crostini topping in this recipe. If you can’t find this product, or prefer to make your own, try my recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Sauce that I serve over pan-simmered salmon. To make it a bit thicker, discard the collected juice from the roasted red peppers along with the skin, stems and seeds, instead of adding it to the blender. I would also blend the roasted pepper mixture lightly to leave a little more texture.
Farmer’s Market Quail Egg Bruschetta
Course: AppetizersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings10
minutes30
minutes40
minutesCrostini, topped them with a red pepper sauce and a single fried quail egg, make a pretty appetizer. Garnish with snipped herbs and freshly ground black pepper.
Ingredients
1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Parmesan cheese, grated (if desired)
Salt and Pepper
1 dozen quail eggs
Red Pepper Sauce (I used a jar of Piquillo Pepper Bruschetta by Elki)
snipped chives, or other herbs
Directions
- Prepare the Crostini: Brush both sides of baguette slices lightly with the olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread the slices on a large baking sheet and bake at 400F until lightly crisped but not darkly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Turn and repeat, browning the other side of the bread slices. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Spread a generous amount of Red Pepper Sauce on Crostini slices.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. When hot, fry quail eggs, being careful not to overcook them.
- Place a fried quail egg on top of each Crostini.
- Sprinkle all with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh snipped herbs.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- I used jarred red pepper sauce for this recipe. Next time I might use my own Roasted Red Pepper Sauce that I serve over pan-simmered salmon. I would prepare it according to the recipe directions except that I would discard the collected juice from the roasted red peppers along with the skin, stems and seeds, instead of adding it to the blender. I would also blend the roasted pepper mixture lightly to leave a little more texture.
What a beautiful presentation! We have quail eggs in our meat case at Zupan's Markets. They're such lovely little delicacies!
Yum! I'll have to use our backyard chicken eggs though since we suddenly have an abundance.
How Beautiful!
I saw a 6-pk of quail eggs here at the farmer's market-for $20.00. And I said "please can I have them…"
i'm not ready to say goodbye! it's funny you should mention quail eggs…i hit a quail with my car the other day. it was terrible. what you've made here is the opposite of terrible–it's precisely the type of nosh i like to make and eat!
You are a culinary queen! This looks delicious.
I have yet to see these lovely little eggs at my farmers market. They are the perfect size for a slice of baguette. It's hard to believe that there aren't many market days left.