Summer Vegetable Breakfast Ricotta Toasts

Creamy herb ricotta on hearty garlic toast, topped with summer vegetables in a light marinade. 

We should eat more produce at breakfast. Sure, you've got green smoothies (and recently, cauliflower in smoothies). You've got omelettes. And of course, we personally like breakfast salad. But when we had some odds and ends leftover produce items, I whipped up this vegetable ricotta toast with garlic and herbs. 

It's a nice savory start to the day, but it certainly doesn't stop at breakfast. There are abundant layers of flavor and texture. Unfortunately, I feel like I have to clarify this presence of actual flavor because I've seen this trend on Instagram where recipes are done that are pretty, but tasteless and not cohesive. Why are we okay with this? Chris and I recently saw a post for a recipe where it was a bunch of raw produce items plus an unflavored item on a starch surface (I'm trying not to call it out- hence the vague description). It had a ton of likes. More likes than I have ever had on a post to be honest. But if you made it, my guess is it wouldn't taste that great. It's not that vegetables don't taste great, they do! But I don't think you can add some sliced things together and call it a taco or sandwich or whatever without some seasoning or cooking or something. Pretty shouldn't beat out taste. It can go hand in hand, but sometimes it just ruffles my feathers that the visual concept has over taken the actual execution of food. 

But I digress...

This recipe is fantastic for using up potted herbs that have gone rogue. The base creamy layer over the garlic toast is ricotta plus chives, dill and parsley. You could also throw in basil, but I used basil on top. 

The middle tomato layer is halved, super ripe tomatoes marinaded with honey and vinegar with salt and pepper. It's essential you use ripe tomatoes or this recipe won't work out. You need the umami that forms with a ripe tomato and you need to let it sit in the marinade for a little to reach its full potential. I also threw in shallot for a bit of brightness from onion and because I LOVE the texture of thinly sliced pickled onion/shallot. 

I also threw in a few ribbons of summer squash for a bit of toothiness (not too thick or it's going to be too in your face slab of squash!). Do you have to make coil loops of squash? Uh no. You can lay it flat on the ricotta but I like a little bit of architecture happening on toast, because why not?

Lastly, we've got summer corn. This is such a nice pop of sweetness in every bite. No, the corn is not cooked. Cut it straight off that cob and enjoy.

Summer Vegetable Breakfast Ricotta Toasts

INGREDIENTS

• 3, 1 inch slices of sourdough bread or other hearty bread of choice
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 8 oz whole milk ricotta 
• 2 T chopped fresh chives
• 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• freshly ground black pepper
• pinch kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon manuka honey or honey of choice
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
• small zucchini and squash, sliced thinly lengthwise using a peeler
• 1 small corn on the cob
• garnish options: thyme, nasturtium, basil, extra salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. Brush slices of bread with olive oil and spread with desired amount of minced garlic. Place on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 7 minutes, then broil while watching to desired crispness.
4. While bread is in the oven, mix ricotta, chives, dill, parsley in a small bowl and set aside.
5. Add cherry tomatoes, pepper, salt honey, vinegar and shallot to a small bowl. Toss to combine and set aside.
6. Use a peeler or mandoline and thinly slice zucchini and squash into ribbons.
7. Slice 'rugs' or kernels of corn off the cob.
8. When toast is removed from oven, slather with ricotta.
9. Top with zucchini/squash, corn, tomato salad and extra herbs, salt and pepper.