Summer is the best time to eat tomatoes. I love them. I think that during the warm Summer months when things are a little freer and time slides by a little slower it's only fair to say the the produce makes the season. And I think that tomatoes in particular are an amazingly special gift with their sun kissed skins nearly bursting with juicy deliciousness.
So these little beauties are the star of my summer evening table. I love making bruschetta in general. But when faced with the choice of ingredients I go for the gold with these.
The other obvious part of bruschetta is of course the bread. So the choice for a base is important. I am choosing focaccia because I love it's flaky soft juicy texture and when crisped it is tremendously delicious.
So here's a quick recipe for your backyard this summer. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Fresh Grape or Cherry Tomatoes halved
Ricotta Cheese full fat about 8 oz
basil pesto ( you can make or buy this at your grocer)
Fresh basil about a bunch
Good quality olive oil ( a great olive oil really makes the difference, spend the money)
Sea Salt Flakes and Pepper
1 small loaf of Rosemary or plain focaccia bread
Method:
Cut bread into rectangular segments about 4 inches by 12 inches then slice bread into square slices about 1/2 in thick.
Heat oven to 375
Place bread on a baking sheet and then drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes
Bake until the bread is a little brown and toasty
Remove from the oven and let cool
Mix the ricotta cheese till smooth and creamy and season with salt and pepper to taste
Cut the basil leaves into chiffonade
Mix the tomatoes with just enough olive oil to coat nicely
Top the bread with a good smear of the pesto then a dallop of the ricotta
Top the bread slices with the tomatoes and then the fresh basil mixture
Sprinkle with a drizzle of the oilve oil and a little sea salt and pepper and serve
good for you for leaving off the quantities! one should add as much of each component as one wants, and i would want SO many tomatoes!!
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