Peach toast with garden honey and spicy bush basil

Chefs Justin Wangler and Tracey Shepos Cenami
Jackson Family Wines, Santa Rosa

Justin Wangler came up with this idea when his wife was pregnant, and her No. 1 craving was bruschetta piled high with tomatoes. One day, there were no ripe tomatoes in his garden, so he grabbed a peach from the backyard tree and discovered a delicious new take on toast.

Ingredients

16 slices sourdough baguette, each 1 inch thick
About 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
4 ripe peaches, halved, pitted and cut into wedges
1 scant cup honey
Sel gris or other moist, coarse salt, for finishing
1⁄4 cup small, fresh bush basil leaves

Directions

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Brush grill grate clean. Lightly brush both sides of each bread slice with oil (about 1 tbsp. per slice) and sprinkle with kosher salt. Grill slices, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Using tongs, transfer slices to a serving platter.

Top baguette slices with peaches, dividing them evenly. Drizzle each peach-topped toast with a scant 1 tbsp. honey and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Sprinkle with sel gris and then garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Serves 8

Wine recommendation: Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Riesling

Recipe reprinted with permission from "Season," by Justin Wangler and Tracey Shepos Cenami, copyright 2018, published by Cameron + Company. Photos by Alan Campbell. See Book Reviews for more information.