Thanks,
Food52
We love the simple, rustic quality of this dish -- and its ability to inspire endless adaptations: you use a different herb for the pesto, dab with ricotta instead of lemon cream, or, as fiveandspice illustrates in her blog, top with a fried egg. Grilled bread is so much better than toasted, and the heady perfume of the thyme pesto seduces you before you can even get the toast to your mouth. The preserved lemon cream softens any rough edges and adds richness. Unless you have many people to feed -- and to help you strip the thyme leaves from their stems -- we recommend halving the pesto recipe. - A&M
Ingredients:
2 cups baby spinach, cleaned and torn into small pieces
1/2 cup fresh thyme leaves (stems removed)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 teaspoons minced preserved lemon
6 thick slices of good Italian country bread
Directions:
In a food processor, combine the spinach, thyme, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, and salt. Process until the ingredients are roughly chopped. With the processor running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil until you have a chunky pesto. Set aside. (This will make more pesto than needed; the rest can be kept refrigerated for about a week and used in other dishes like pasta, chicken, and fish.)
In a small bowl, combine creme fraiche and preserved lemon. Allow to stand in the refrigerator for about a half hour for the flavors to combine.
Heat the grill. Lightly brush each slice of bread with olive oil on both sides. Grill the slices a minute or two per side until they are crusty and have charred grill marks but are still soft in the middle.
Spread each slice of bread with the pesto, and top with a generous smear of preserved lemon cream. Enjoy!
