Last week, I asked on my instagram stories if you wanted this recipe or Lemon Bars with Brown Butter Raspberries to hit the blog first. It was a valiant fight and probably my most voted in poll ever but the Whipped Ricotta won out. To be honest, it’s my favorite too. It’s light, savory, a hint of sweet. The tomatoes just taste of summer and deconstructed, every piece individually is delicious in it’s own right.
What You’ll Need
Marinated Tomatoes
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 clove minced garlic
(if you’re using garlic from a jar, which is totally fine, I like to add a little of the garlic juice, too!)
Lemon Thyme Honey
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Toast & Ricotta
1 loaf sourdough bread, sliced
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
fresh berries, for garnish (optional)
The How To
1. The Tomatoes
Combine cherry tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, thyme & garlic and gently mix so the flavors combine. This step is first so the tomatoes can sit for 15 minutes or so prior to serving.
2. The Honey
Combine honey, lemon & fresh thyme
3. The Ricotta
Add the ricotta into the food processor and whip until smooth. Doesn’t take more than a 30 seconds or so. Add a pinch of salt and whip briefly again. Voila!
4. Serving
When you’re ready to serve, to make the bread, you can either:
a) preheat your oven to 400° F. Drizzle the sourdough slices with olive oil on both sides of each slice, season with salt. Place the bread directly on the rack & “grill” both for about 2-3 minutes per side or until lightly toasted.
or
b) toast your bread in the toaster ( I promise it’s just as good)
Spread the ricotta on a serving dish, making a little reservoir in the middle. In said reservoir, add the lemon thyme honey. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh thyme and fruit, if available. You can spoon the ricotta/honey mixture onto the toast & top with tomatoes.
The combination is perfectly sweet & savory. I will absolutely be eating this all summer. I already have been! LOL!
Also, as I photograph recipes, from now on, I’ll be capturing how the dish looks as it’s enjoyed. I love nothing more than messy food photos; how the food actually looks when it’s being enjoyed. As it should be.
hungry yet?
Run out of tomatoes? I promise the whipped ricotta alone is sheer perfection. Enjoy!
Cheers,
This recipe is inspired by food idol, Tieghan, at Half Baked Harvest.
