The Vamp's T-Day Contribution

You didn't expect me to show up to my friends' Thanksgiving dinner empty-handed, did you?

The two bottles of wine were a forgone conclusion. Still, I needed to bring more to the table than Australian Sauvignon Blanc and Argentine Malbec. So, with all the customary sides already claimed by others, I decided to whip up a few pre-dinner hor d'oeurves for good measure.

Happily, my Marinated Mushrooms with Fresh Thyme were gobbled up at a steady clip. But, it was my Tomato and Fresh Ricotta Bruschetta (pictured above) that seemed to vanish all too quickly. Not as quickly as the platter of Deviled Eggs, mind you, but they did come in a close second...

Tomato and Fresh Ricotta Bruschetta
(Serves 5 - 6 as a pre-dinner snack)

1 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 cup and 1 TBSP olive oil
1 large garlic clove (minced)
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
pepper to taste
1 baguette
1 cup fresh ricotta
Fresh basil (chopped)

Toss tomatoes with 1 TBSP olive oil, minced garlic, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place in a pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees in a pre-heated oven. If the tomatoes haven't blistered, put on broil for an additional 5 minutes and then remove from the oven. Mash tomatoes slightly to remove a bit of the liquid.

Slice the baguette on a diagonal for 15 pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Place a 1/4 cup olive oil in a cup or bowl and use a pastry brush to lightly coat both sides of the slices and place on a cookie sheet. Brown both sides in the oven, about 3 - 4 minutes each side on broil. Remove and place on a rack to cool slightly.

Once cool enough to handle, spread each toast with fresh ricotta and then pile some of the warm tomatoes on top. Sprinkle chopped fresh basil over each of the bruschetta. Serve.

Comments

[elisabeth]

Oh, the bruschetta. So delicious! Fresh ricotta makes all the difference, honey. Thanks so much for sharing!