I first heard about this recipe from my good friend, Krista. She told me about it and at first I was sceptical until she brought it over as an appetizer. I was hooked and had to try and make it myself. I made it a while back and brought it in to work and all the ladies I work with also enjoyed it very much. It is a very economical, flavorful, and colorful appetizer and would be especially great for these hot days in the summer. I would definitely give it a try if you are a pea fan.

Pea Pesto Crostini

Ingredients

Pesto:

• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Crostini:

• 8 (1/2-inch thick) slices whole-grain baguette or ciabatta bread, preferably day-old ( I used a loaf of 50 cent day old Jimmy John's bread and it worked great!)
  
• 1/3 cup olive oil
  
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 small tomato, diced

Directions

For the pea pesto: Pulse together the peas, garlic, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

For the crostini: Preheat a stovetop griddle or grill pan on medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the sliced bread with olive oil and grill until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bread to a clean surface and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the prepared pesto on each slice. Top with tomato halves and serve. You could also serve as a dip as shown below.