This recipe is extremely tasty and very easy to make. There’s nothing like toasted bread with fresh ingredients. You will love this ricotta bruschetta with tomato and strawberries.
Homemade Ricotta
I love to make homemade ricotta. The ricotta you can find in the supermarket tends to vary in consistency, some are firmer and others are way too liquidy. They also add all of these not-necessary ingredients to increase shelf life and stabilize it. In reality, you only need three ingredients: whole milk, lemon and salt. To make it, you heat up the milk with the salt and then add the lemon. You give it a few seconds to curdle and then pass it through a cheesecloth/muslin cloth or fine mesh. It’s that simple! The result is delicious and the perfect base for this ricotta bruschetta with tomato and strawberries.
Ricotta Bruschetta with Tomato and Strawberries
I know that for some, the mix of tomatoes with strawberries on a toast will sound a bit strange. However, I need you to trust me on this one because the sweet and slightly acidic flavour that the strawberries add is amazing. I highly recommend this: make the ricotta bruschetta for your family and friends, and when you do, ask them what’s the secret ingredient 🙂 They will take a bit of time to figure out why they like it so much! I also add basil to the mix which adds even more freshness to the dish.
Ingredients are key
Whenever you have a recipe like this ricotta bruschetta with tomato and strawberries with few ingredients, you want them to be of really good quality. So get a nice baguette with a crispy exterior since the appetizer is half bread ;). You also want to go for ripe tomatoes, those that are bright red with a juicy interior. If they’re heirloom tomatoes, even better as they have lots more flavour. The same goes for the strawberries, get really nice ones and they will shine through the dish.
Finishing the ricotta bruschetta
To finish the ricotta bruschetta I used a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt. This is a type of finishing salt that’s really fine and dissolves quickly in your mouth while also adding a bit of savoury crunch to the dish. I love it and use it to finish cookies, fried dishes, grilled dishes and more. The balsamic glaze is always a niche touch on cheese and tomato dishes; it really brings all the flavours together and makes them extra addictive.
Ricotta Bruschetta with Tomato and Strawberries
Ingredients
For the ricotta
- 1 litre whole milk (avoid UHT treated milk)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp lime juice
For the bruschetta
- 1 baguette
- 1 garlic clove
- 200 g tomatoes about 2 medium ones
- 200 g strawberries about 14 strawberries
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 10-12 basil leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Balsamic Glaze for serving
- Sea Salt Flakes for serving
Instructions
For the ricotta
- Bring the milk and salt to a boil. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once it boils turn off the heat and add the lime juice. Give it a quick stir and let rest for 10min. If it doesn't curdle when you mix in the lemon juice, return it to the heat for a few seconds. I should curdle.
- Put a sieve on a large bowl and lay muslin cloth on top of that. If you don't have a muslin cloth you can use a new kitchen towel (not the hairy type) that is reserved only for this use to avoid cross-contamination.
- Pour the milk on the muslin cloth-lined sieve and let drain for 10min-30min depending on how creamy or dry you want it. Give it a gentle stir halfway through.
- Discard the whey at the bottom and keep the cheese on top in a container in the fridge. It lasts up to 5 days.
For the bruschetta
- Cut the baguette diagonally into ⅓in/1cm thick slices. Cutting them diagonally makes them oval in shape.
- Preheat a grill, frying pan or barbecue grill to high heat and toast the bread on each side for a couple of minutes. Remove the bread and reserve.
- Gently rub the garlic clove on the bread to add a bit of flavour.
- In a bowl, mix the tomato, strawberry, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Place the mix onto the bread and finish with the salt flakes and balsamic glaze.