3 Great Summer Crostini

Leek and ricotta crostini. [Photographs: Lauren Rothman]

When the weather's warm and the cold drinks are flowing, there's no accompaniment quite like perfectly crisp crostini topped with ripe summer vegetables. Eminently snackable, but not too heavy, they provide a taste of the best produce of the season—and a big platter of is darn impressive-looking, too.

As common as they are, crostini aren't always done right. In addition to the bread sometimes being under- or over-toasted, it's often not seasoned at all, which does a real disservice to the flavorful ingredients set on top. Luckily, all these mistakes are as easy to fix as properly making toast.

Grilled corn, avocado, and queso fresco crostini.

In the accompanying recipes, seasonal summer ingredients grace just-right pieces of toast. In one, a light, Mexican-inspired topping features grilled corn, diced avocado, salty queso fresco, and plenty of lime juice and cilantro.

Roasted cherry, balsamic, and goat cheese crostini.

Soft braised leeks, meanwhile, are accented with basil and rounded out with ricotta cheese.

And lastly, wine-red summer cherries are intensified by roasting the fruit and spiking it with balsamic vinegar along with some tangy goat cheese.

Make 'em now, while all this produce is still at its peak.

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