These winter crostini of Tuscan kale flavored with lemon and garlic may seem simple, even too simple, but this is what makes crostini so wonderful – for both the cook and the eater. In a way, these particular crostini are just an elaboration on the most elemental of all crostini, Tuscany's fettunta – literally, the “greasy slice”: a slice of rustic Tuscan bread, chargrilled to toasty perfection, is rubbed with a raw garlic clove, seasoned with salt flakes and drenched in a rather lavish amount extra virgin olive oil. As simple as you can get, when done properly with good, thick, green olive oil and just the right amount of garlic, this is surely one of the most satisfying dishes on earth.
Add some cavolo nero, with its bumpy, long, cypress-green leaves, enchanced with a squeeze of lemon, and in under ten minutes, you have a delicious and healthy starter that tastes of a Tuscan winter. Try it also on crostini made of grilled or deep fried slices of polenta.
Cavolo nero or Tuscan kale has its own unique flavour but for the most authentic taste in this dish, it would best be substituted with silverbeet rather than other types of kale, such as curly kale. —Emiko
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