Ricotta And Tomato Spread Food

RICOTTA BRUSCHETTA WITH SWEET AND SPICY TOMATOES

Steps:

• For the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Spread the cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and salt on a small rimmed baking sheet and toss well to coat. Roast until the tomatoes have popped and are beginning to brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
• For the spicy honey: Meanwhile, combine the honey, Calabrian chile, salt and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool completely.
• For the bruschetta: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Whisk together the ricotta, salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on the bread and grill until golden brown and toasted, about 4 minutes per side. Divide the ricotta among the bread slices. Top with the tomatoes and drizzle with spicy honey. Scatter the basil over the top.

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES WITH HERBED RICOTTA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, scallions, dill, chives, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside for up to 30 minutes.
• With a small serrated knife, cut the larger tomatoes in wedges through the stem and the smaller tomatoes in half through the stem. Place them in a medium bowl with the garlic, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside.
• When ready to serve, add the basil to the tomatoes and combine. Pile the ricotta in a large (12-inch) round shallow bowl or oval platter. Using a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes around the ricotta, discarding any liquid. Drizzle the tomatoes and ricotta with olive oil, sprinkle with the reserved basil and fleur de sel, and serve at room temperature.
• Set a fine-mesh sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 pieces of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with a double layer of the cheesecloth.
• Pour the milk and cream into a medium stainless-steel or enameled pot, such as Le Creuset, and stir in the salt. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and pour in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for one minute, until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).
• Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 minutes (for soft ricotta) to 25 minutes (for firmer ricotta), occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining liquid. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep, refrigerated, for 4 to 5 days.

TOMATO SPREAD WITH RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil in a food processor. Blend to a smooth puree and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Place the ricotta in a mound in the center of a large round plate. Smooth the tomato mixture around the side. Garnish the cheese with a sprig of basil.

ROASTED TOMATO, RICOTTA AND BASIL CROSTINI

Steps:

• For the crostini: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the baguette into thin slices and put them on one of the prepared baking sheets. Brush the bread with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until they are golden brown and crunchy, about 15 minutes.
• For the roasted tomatoes: In a medium bowl, mix together the tomatoes, honey, olive oil and red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Put the mixture on the other prepared baking sheet and bake until the tomatoes start to color and shrivel, about 25 minutes.
• For the ricotta: In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, olive oil and garlic powder until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• When the crostini are cooled slightly, spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the top of each piece, and then top with the roasted tomatoes, drizzling any extra juices over the top. Garnish with the chiffonade of basil.

TEXAS TOMATO TOAST WITH ROASTED GARLIC SPREAD AND HOMEMADE RICOTTA

Steps:

• For the roasted garlic spread: Combine the oil and garlic in a small saucepot, turn the heat on to low and let sit until the garlic floats, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Remove the garlic from the oil and place in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the cooked olive oil and a pinch of salt to the bowl and mash with a fork until coarsely mixed. Reserve the remaining oil for other uses (including griddling the Texas toast).
• For the ricotta: Combine the milk and buttermilk in a heavy saucepot, turn the heat on to medium-low. Stirring very occasionally, check the temperature until the mixture reaches 180 degrees F. (If you do not have a thermometer, watch for curds to begin forming, turn the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes.)
• Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture sit for 1 hour to let the curds fully develop. Do not stir the mixture during this time.
• Line a colander or other large strainer with cheesecloth and set over a large bowl. Gently ladle or pour the mixture over the cheesecloth. Allow the whey to drain from the curds and collect in the bowl below. (Whey can be saved for other uses, mostly anything buttermilk can be used for). After about 1 hour of draining, transfer the curds to a small bowl and season with salt. (If a creamier consistency is preferred, a few tablespoons of cream can be added to the ricotta to loosen it)
• For the Texas toast: Heat a heavy skillet or pan over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of reserved roasted garlic olive oil to the skillet, then add a slice of bread. When the one side has reached a deep golden brown color, remove the slice from the skillet. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the skillet and proceed to griddle the other side of bread. When it has reached a deep golden brown, remove from the skillet and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining slices.
• Slice the tomatoes into thick slices and sprinkle with salt.
• Smear the Texas toast with 2 tablespoons roasted garlic spread. Assemble tomato slices on top of a slice of toast (1 tomato per slice). Place several small dollops of ricotta on top of the tomatoes. Top with basil. Sprinkle with more salt and a twist of freshly ground black pepper. Eat.

WARM RICOTTA, CORN AND TOMATO DIP

Steps:

• Position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the corn and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through but not beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and season with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes start to soften slightly and release some of their juice, 3 to 5 minutes depending on their ripeness.
• Remove from the heat and make 8 divots in the tomato mixture using the back of a spoon. Dollop the ricotta among the divots and drizzle with oil. Bake on the top oven rack until bubbly and the cheese is heated through, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, spread out the bread on a baking sheet, drizzle both sides with oil and season with salt and black pepper. Bake on the bottom oven rack, flipping halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Top each piece of bread with a slice of fontina and cook until melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. While still hot, sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes.
• Top the skillet with the basil leaves, drizzle with more oil and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve right away with the toasts while the skillet is still warm.

RICOTTA AND TOMATO SPREAD

Steps:

• Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil in a food processor. Blend to a smooth puree and season to taste.
• Place the ricotta in a mound in a large round plate. Spoon the tomato mixture around the edge. Garnish the cheese with a sprig of basil.

RICOTTA DIP WITH CRUSHED TOMATOES & BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mash the ricotta, cream cheese, mint, chives and some salt. When smooth, spread over a large plate or a wide, shallow bowl, creating a dip in the centre to hold the tomatoes. Chill until ready to serve.
• In another bowl, crush and rip up the tomatoes with your hands until they are in small chunks and really juicy. Strain through a sieve and discard the juice (or freeze to use in another recipe). Add the vinegar, sugar, olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Mix together, then set aside.
• Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot. Brush the bread slices with olive oil and rub with the garlic cloves. Place on the hot griddle for 1-2 mins each side until nicely charred - you'll have to do this in batches.
• Pile the squashed tomatoes on top of the ricotta spread. Drizzle with extra oil and scatter with the remaining mint. Place in the centre of the table and let everyone dip in with the charred bruschetta.