Chef James:
Vegas is hot. And so are Michigan summers. We recently ran this toast at Mabel and it was one of my favorite dishes of the summer. Strawberry season is the best! I also like to add some thinly shaved prosciutto or Benton’s Ham to this dish. Make it a whole meal!
MI Strawberry Toast
1-2 thick cut slices, high quality pumpernickel bread (we use Crispelli’s)
1-2 cups local, beautiful strawberries
3 oz of high quality goat cheese. We prefer Idyll Farms from Northport.
Small handful of local greens. Arugula, mâche, spicy blend, mizuna, Frisée, watercress, herbs, etc. Whatever is local and looks great. If strawberries are in season, so are delicious baby greens.
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar. This is worth the splurge. Make sure it’s 100% balsamic. No xantham.
1 tablespoon high quality olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Pickled fennel for garnish (optional, recipe below)
For the pickled fennel:
1 cup white distilled vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon crushed red chile flake
Pinch cracked black pepper
Salt and sugar to taste. Start with 1 tablespoon each. I like my pickled veg salty and sweet.
Add all ingredients above to a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. Pour over shaved fennel. Cool in the refrigerator overnight.
For the strawberries:
Gently remove the stem and core being careful to not remove too much of the strawberries. Split them if they’re large. Toss is a little sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. You can add a pinch of cracked pepper too. Let sit for an hour or so.
For the whipped goat cheese:
In a food processor add your goat cheese and pulse a few times. Some goat cheese is pretty wet and will whip quickly into a spreadable texture. If it’s dry and crumbly, you can add a few drops of lemon juice or water. Don’t over whip. We’re only looking for a nice schmear.
For the toast:
Griddle the pumpernickel in whole butter in a cast iron skillet (or sauté pan) until crunchy and buttery on both sides. You can cut the bread on a diagonal before or leave it whole.
Assembly
Schmear the toast with a liberal amount of goat cheese. Spoon the macerated strawberries over the toast. Top with the pickled fennel and greens. Spoon the toasted sesame over the whole thing. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. A pinch of sea salt doesn’t hurt either. Voilà!