TOAST...and all of the good stuff to put on top.

Turning the humble piece of grilled bread into something magical.

Smoked Duck Toast with blackberry and hazelnuts.

Serving toast in a restaurant has devolved into cruel joke at this point. Its role in the destruction of the millennial wealth gap is crystal clear and God protect the soul who dares spread creamy, avocado goodness across a buttery, crusty grilled, perfectly fermented, artisanal sourdough slice. Maybe sprinkled with some crumbly cheese or bathed in olive oil and finished with some salt chunks harvested from holy water…expensive enough to keep millennials from buying homes in the ever changing marketplace……

In all seriousness though, toast is delicious.  It's very clear why everybody loves it and why everybody loves putting random stuff on top of it. Humanity itself was built upon wheat and only makes sense that humans find ways to eat it for every meal of the day. Isn’t it hysterical that avocado toast has become the symbol of modern American generational wealth gaps? Anywho…

Toasty bread is the blank canvas we all love. At one point it literally equated to life and in the spirit of "bread is life" I want to start a thread in the blog that explores stuff to put on toast. In this post, I will include two easy recipes but want to contribute many, many more solely centered around toast. As time marches on I will continue to post my favorite toast recipes and hopefully over time I can compile an encyclopedic collection of some good ones.

TOAST # 1 - Ultimate Avocado Toast - dukkah spice, crumbled feta cheese, poached egg

I like to refer to this toast as the millennial crusher because this one single handedly destroyed the financial situation of so many millennials today.  Why cant we afford to buy homes?  This toast right here.  Can’t save for a $100k down payment on a half million dollar home?  Definitely the toast's fault. Theres something magical about the flavor combination of crusty, buttery grilled bread and creamy avocado.  The dukkah spice adds interesting flavor enhancement while simultaneously adding textural elements to the dish.  Add a poached egg on top or a few pickled red onions for garnish and blasts of acidity.

Dukkah Spice Mix Ingredients:

• 2 cups toasted hazelnuts

• 1.5 cups toasted white sesame seeds

• 5 TBSP whole toasted coriander seeds

• 5 TBSP whole toasted cumin seeds

• 2 TBSP freshly ground black pepper

• 1 TBSP salt

Dukkah Instructions: Toast hazelnuts and hold to the side. Toast sesame seeds and hold to the side. Toast cumin and coriander together then pulverize thoroughly into dust in a spice grinder. After everything is toasted seperately, add all of the ingredients into a Robot Coupe or food processor and pulverize into small crumbly pieces. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Assembled Toast Ingredients:

• 1 slice toasted sourdough bread (or any bread of your choosing)

• 1 whole avocado, flesh removed from skin and roughly smashed with a fork

• 1 ounce Bulgarian feta cheese

• 1 TBSP Dukkah Spice Mix

• 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Pinch coarse sea salt

• 1 fried or poached egg to put on top

Assembly:

1. Toast your sliced bread in the toaster or on a griddle preferably with a little extra virgin olive oil or butter.

2. Smear crushed avocado on toast with the back of a spoon. Season avocado with salt and extra virgin olive oil.

3. Evenly spread dukkah spice mix over top of the toast. Evenly sprinkle feta crumbles over the top of the toast.

4. Gently place poached or fried egg on top. Garnish with your favorite herbs or shaved radishes and a fat pinch of sea salt.

Ultimate Avocado Toast (without egg).

TOAST # 2 - Smoked Duck Toast - goat cheese, blackberry, toasted hazelnuts

This toast is something that pops up every fall, when duck is in season in New Jersey and all of the fall fruits are perfectly ripe.  Blackberries go through two rounds of fruiting, depending on which variety they are and provide the bright fruity acidity needed to cut through all of the fat and smokey duck.

Ingredients:

• 1 slice toasted sourdough bread

• 2 oz room temperature goat cheese

• 2 oz smoked duck breast (will post a recipe for this in the future)

• 6 each blackberries

• 2 oz toasted hazelnuts crushed

• marigolds and herbs for garnishing

• extra virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt for finishing

Assembly:

1. Toast your bread in a toaster or on a griddle and preferably with virgin olive oil or butter.

2. Smear room temperature goat cheese on the toasted bread. This will serve as a foundation for all of your other ingredients to latch on to.

3. Carefully place smoked duck, blackberries and hazelnuts neatly on toast to create a visually appealing pile of things arranged on your toast.

4. Finish toast with herbs, flowers, extra virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt.

Smoked Duck Toast