tuna tartare on crostini

my roommate, suz and i, have recently been volunteering our time at the dc cooking school, CulinAerie. it's a pretty sweet gig. we get there early to prep for the classes, assist the customers during the class (mostly we're there to make sure their wine glasses are always full, but every once in awhile we'll get asked a question) and clean up afterwards. at the end of the night, when everyone has left and the kitchen is cleaned, all of the volunteers and the chef/instructor sit down and enjoy dinner together. the chef prepares whatever was on the menu for the class that night.

last week's class featured how to make seafood dishes in 30 minutes. i re-created part of the meal at home for my parents and brother. i definitely tried this out on the wrong crowd because i got mixed reviews - the men hated it and peg said it was good, but she didn't like it on the bread. i on the other hand, really loved it. raw tuna is definitely an acquired taste and it's not for all. however, if you dig tuna tartare this is a great recipe for you to try - it's an elegant appetizer and pretty simple to make. enjoy!

ingredients:
8 ounces sushi-grade tuna, cut into 1/4-inch dice (watch that video to see how to cut it into small pieces)
2 tablespoons green onions, green parts only, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 lemon, juiced
baguette, cut into slices
evoo
pepper
sesame seeds, for garnish

directions:
preheat oven to 365 degrees. place bread slices on baking sheet, drizzle liberally with evoo and cook for 7 minutes in oven. meanwhile, mix tuna, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, lemon juice and pepper in a medium bowl. to assemble, place a heaping tablespoon of the tuna mixture on each crostini. garnish with sesame seeds. serve immediately. it is important that the tuna is not left at room temperature for more than 1 hour because you're eating it raw!