Grilled Crostini With Olive Tapenade

Prep: 10 min., Grill: 6 min. Grill the bread slices early the day of the gathering. Cool and store in tightly sealed zip-top plastic bags.

Yield: Makes 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients

• 1  (12-ounce) French bread baguette
• 3  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• 1  (7-ounce) container olive tapenade
• 1  tablespoon  chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Garnish: green onion strips
• 1/4  cup  sliced green onions

Preparation

Slice bread into 24 (1/2-inch-thick) slices, discarding ends.

Whisk together olive oil and next 3 ingredients. Brush evenly on one cut side of each bread slice.

Grill bread slices over medium heat (300° to 350°) 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Stir together olive tapenade and parsley; garnish, if desired. Place green onion slices in a small bowl. Serve tapenade and green onions with bread.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Cantaré Olive Tapénade, which can be found in the deli section of large supermarkets.