Cherry Crostini with Crème Kefir

Serves: 6 to 8 as an appetizer
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes

Cherry Topping

2 cups pitted and quartered red cherries
¼ cup each minced flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup toasted walnut pieces
¼ cup minced shallot
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Crostini Base

1 French Baguette, about 16 ½” slices of bread
>4 to 6  tablespoons softened Organic Butter Salted
8 oz Crème Kefir

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the cherries, parsley, walnut pieces, and shallots, toss to combine. In a small bowl, using a fork, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Pour over the cherry mixture and stir until cherries are coated. Set aside and let marinate while making the crostini base.
2. Preheat oven broiler and lay out the 16 pieces of French bread on a baking tray. Place under the broiler for 30 to 60 seconds until the bread is lightly browning and crisp. Be sure to keep an eye on the bread as it will burn quickly if left unattended. Remove from oven and spread a small bit of a butter on the tops of each piece.
3. To assemble the crostini, spoon about a half-ounce of the crème kefir over each slice of toasted bread and spoon 2 tablespoons of the cherry mixture on top. Serve with an extra sprinkle of parsley if desired.

Notes

If you prefer the crème kefir to be a bit sweeter and less tangy, stir in 2 to 3 teaspoons of honey to the crème kefir before spread on the toasted bread pieces.