Ricotta, tomato, tarragon, and honey on toast.
This may be the new way to Caprese.
No disrespect to Capri, of course. The traditional Caprese salad comprises the culinary triumvirate della Italia: tomato, basil, and mozzarella. Topped with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, the Caprese is iconic, beautiful, perfect.
To be fair, I'm not altering that ideal mix of Italian ingredients. Rather, I'm using it as inspiration for these amazing lil toasts, which are great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacktime, dinner, oh hell pretty much any time.
And since tomato season is coming to a close, I figured I do it one last solid until next year. The combination of flavors on these toasties is heavenly. Allow me to elucidate:
A foundation of earthy whole-wheat bread
A base of creamy, just-so tangy ricotta
A layer of sweet, brightly acidic cherry tomatoes
A dash of herbal, licorice-y tarragon
A drizzle of rich, golden mesquite honey
A sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper
Oops, that's the recipe. Ha ha. Enjoy.
yours,
aa
Ricotta, Tomato, Tarragon, and Honey on Toast
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 1
Recommended pairing: Vinho verde, or if you don't booze at lunchtime or whatever, sparkling water with lemon.
What you’ll need
2 slices whole-wheat bread
2 to 3 tbsp whole-milk ricotta cheese
½ to ¾ c. cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 tbsp tarragon, loosely packed, chopped or torn
Scant 2 tsp mesquite honey
Sea salt & fresh-ground black pepper to taste
How to make it
Toast your bread according to your preference. (I like mine chestnut brown, but I'm not you. Fwiw, I don't recommend super-charred toast for this recipe.) Spread each slice with a healthy schmear of ricotta, ~1 to 1 ½ tbsp, depending on the size of your bread. Top with cherry tomatoes and tarragon. Drizzle with honey, about just under 1 tsp per slice. Drizzle a bit less if you want to cut the sweetness. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. Eat it all.
ps. If you're really into Caprese flavors, sub basil for the tarragon. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Or go nuts: skip the olive oil, but keep the honey and balsamic. It'll wow you.
