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Sweet nectarines, serrano chile and feta cheese come together for a fantastic salty and sweet crostini appetizer topping.

I met Lori Lange of Recipe Girl a couple of times since I started blogging, but really didn't have a chance to get to know her until we shared a hotel room at the end of Georgia Pellegrini's inaugural Girl Hunter weekend about a year and a half ago. Lori is not only one of the original bloggers, with a recipe archive that would keep any family well-fed and satisfied for at least five years, and author of her new book, aptly named The Recipe Girl Cookbook. She is also a dedicated wife, and mother to her soon Brooks (with a blog of his own, called Recipe Boy).

This sweet nectarine crostini is just one of the many fantastic recipes in Lori's book. In fact, there are nearly 200 recipes, ranging from breakfast favorites and dinner ideas to decadent desserts and cocktails. Each recipe comes with a "Change it up" suggestion, allowing you to dream up variations on the printed recipe. Recipes are denoted with icons that indicate vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options. In other words, this is a very user-friendly book.

The sweetness of the nectarines is balanced by the tang of fresh lime juice and the saltiness of feta cheese. Pile the mixture on top of toasted baguette pieces and you have a sure-fire winner. This would be a fantastic topping for grilled fish!

Of course, I couldn't help myself...I had to make a couple of changes, though they were very small. I slightly reduced the amount of olive oil used and used only a third of the feta cheese called for in the recipe. This reduced the calorie and fat count considerably without sacrificing flavor.

Thanks to Lori for such a wonderful recipe!

The recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack in the middle of the oven.

In a medium bowl, gently toss the nectarines, bell pepper, onions, 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, the lime juice and chile. Set aside.

Spread out the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Lightly brush the bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil. Bake the baguette slices until the bread is lightly toasted, 3 to 5 minutes (watch closely so they don't overbrown or burn).

Remove the bread from the oven and top each slice with a spoonful of the nectarine mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

Place the baking sheet back into the oven and heat the bruschetta for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, just until the bruschetta are heated through. Serve immediately.

Other appetizers:

Shrimp, Avocado & Rice Noodle Spring Rolls
Mini Grilled Stuffed Peppers with Sausage & Basil

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