Roasted Chestnut Bruschetta (Vegan)

One of our father's favorite snacks was roasted chestnuts. He scored them in a criss-cross fashion, put them under the broiler and filled the house with an amazing aroma that always reminds me of autumn. Chestnuts can make any dish more special, like this bruschetta. Add creamy avocado and bright pomegranate arils and you've got a dish that's a special treat for the eyes and the tastebuds.

Roasted Chestnut Bruschetta (Vegan)

Servings: 2 slices
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

4 thick slices (about ½ inch thick), cut on the diagonal, loaf good quality bread such as ciabatta, but any bread will do
Olive oil
¾ cup avocado
½ t. lemon
2 T. pomegranate arils
Salt & fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

Put the chestnuts on a cutting board, flat side down. Using a sharp knife, cut a criss-cross cuts into the top of the chestnut, cutting through the thick shell and about ½ to ¾ of the way through the chestnut meat.
Put the chestnuts on a baking pan underneath the broiler for 5-10 minutes until they open up at the cut seam. Check the regularly, if the shells turn black they have been in too long. Remove and let sit until they are cool enough to touch.
Brush the bread on one side lightly with olive oil and toast in toaster or under a broiler for about 5 minutes, until bread is crispy and brown.
Mash the avocado and lemon in a bowl. Add a generous pinch of salt and about 5 grinds of fresh black peppercorns from your pepper mill. If you do not have a pepper mill, use a generous pinch of pepper. Set aside.
Remove shells from the chestnuts. There will be a thick hard brown shell and an inner softer shell. When the shells have been removed, you will have a creamy yellow-white chestnut. Cut them into thin slices. You only need four chestnuts for this dish, but I suggested six because some chestnuts do not turn out as planned. If the chestnut has green on the inside, it is moldy – discard immediately. If you cannot get the inner shell off, discard.
Spread the avocado on the toasted bread. Arrange chestnut slices on top of avocado. Sprinkle pomegranate arils on top and serve.