Asparagus, Leek, and Prosciutto Tartines

Whenever I'm back home in Florida my family takes full advantage of my love for cooking/baking and doesn't hesitate to ask for delectable treats. When my mom asked if I would make some appetizers for a holiday party her and my dad were attending, I certainly said yes!
I knew that I would be making some of the Fig Bruschetta that I had made the last time I was home because it is not only incredibly, amazingly delicious, but super easy (though I used dried figs this time as they are no longer in season and they tasted just as wonderful!). But, I wanted to make a second option as well. When I found the recipe for these tartines, I knew they would be a fun and tasty compliment.
They turned out awesome, and like the bruschetta, were very simple to make. I loved the creaminess of ricotta/asparagus puree with the saltiness of the prosciutto, and the lemon juice added a nice freshness. From what I hear, they were a huge hit at the party!

Asparagus, Leek, and Prosciutto Tartines

recipe slightly adapted from here

ingredients:

• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed
• 1 leek roughly chopped, white and light green portions only
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 large clove of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 lb prosciutto
• bread sliced into rounds for serving (you could use a baguette or ciabatta)
• olive oil for drizzling

1. Boil the asparagus in a shallow pan until it turns bright green, around 5 minutes. Remove from pan and run under cool water to stop the cooking; pat dry.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes.
3. Roughly chop the asparagus and add it to the bowl of a food processor. Add the ricotta and the sauteed leeks/garlic and pulse until combined. Ad the lemon juice and the other 2 teaspoons of olive oil and puree. Season with sat and pepper if necessary.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the bread slices, sprinkle with black pepper, and toast in an oven until golden brown. Smear a dollop of the puree on each slice and top with a piece of the prosciutto.