For the Crustini
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
Lay the pieces of baguette out on a sheet pan in a single layer. Brush the side facing up with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake until the crustini starts to turn brown. Remove the sheet pan and let the crustini cool slightly.
They can be stored, covered, in a dry place for several hours if needed.
For the Red Pepper Pesto
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
Cut the sides off of the peppers and place skin side up on a sheet pan with raised edges. Add the shallots and garlic to the sheet pan. Drizzle everything with olive oil then salt and pepper it.
Place the pan in the oven and bake until the peppers have softened and just begun to brown, about 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool briefly.
Place the peppers, shallots, and garlic in the blender or food processor. Add the cashews, mint, olive oil, and white wine vinegar. Process until smooth. Taste for seasonings and add more salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed to balance the flavors.
For a thicker pesto, weigh the ingredients for the pesto before blending. Measure out 0.2% to 0.5% xanthan gum by weight. Sprinkle the xanthan gum into the pesto and blend as instructed above.
Because xanthan gum is a modernist ingredient, the amounts for this component are given in metric by weight. Learn more about how to measure modernist ingredients in this article.
The pesto can be stored at room temperature for a few hours or in the refrigerator for a few days.
