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Perfectly Seasonal Roasted Cherry Toast

Roasted Cherry Toast with Ricotta Cheese

Los Angeles has all kinds of restaurants. Exotic ethnicities and regional American specialties. Meat. Seafood. Vegetarian. Vegan. Old-School. New-School. Fast Food. Slow Food. But have you ever been to a really great toast restaurant? Well, we’ve got one of those too. It’s called Sqirl. I want you to fully appreciate how unlikely the success of this restaurant is. Think about it – this is Los Angeles and people are lining up on the sidewalk to eat toast. This is where the no-carb fad was born! I love Sqirl (and I don’t mind carbs) but honestly, it’s hard for me to make it over there just so I can have excellent toast for breakfast. So I’ve stolen some of Sqirl’s best tricks and I often top toast with all sorts of creative combinations at home. Honey-Roasted Cherry and Lemon Ricotta Toast is my latest example.

Ban the butter and tell jelly to step aside – the ritual of smearing stuff on toast doesn’t have to be boring. Roasted cherries make a delicious warm compote that cuts through the full-fat flavors in good ricotta cheese, while earthy thyme complements the sweetness. Besides, if you’re like me you buy cherries whenever you see them this time of year. All summer long. It makes no matter how many bushels I already have, or how many fruit flies I have to chase around the kitchen. I always think I need just a few more cherries. Why not try some roasted cherries? You’ve done everything else you can think of with them already. I just know you have. GREG

PS I served this Honey-Roasted Cherry and Lemon Ricotta Toast on slices of whole-grain rosemary bread from Roan Mills Grains. The earthy touch of rosemary gives this toast a savory boost Smucker’s can only dream about.

Roasted Cherry Toast with Ricotta CheeseRoasted Cherry Toast with Ricotta Cheese

Honey-Roasted Cherry and Lemon Ricotta Toast 

Print This Recipe Total time Yield 4Source Adapted from Andrea BemisPublished
Honey-Roasted Cherry and Lemon Ricotta Toast

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ricotta (drained and at room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
  • kosher salt (as needed)
  • 2 cup pitted fresh cherries
  • 2 tablespoon honey (plus more for serving)
  • 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • fresh thyme sprigs (as needed)
  • 4 slice whole-grain artisan bread (cut ½‑inch thick, then toasted)
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped raw almonds
  • flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Directions

Stir together ricotta, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt. Ricotta mixture can be refrigerated, in an airtight container, up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before continuing.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

On a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, toss cherries with honey, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, and 4 or 5 fresh thyme sprigs; season lightly with salt. Bake in the heated oven until the juices begin to thicken and the fruit is very soft about 17 minutes. 

Generously spread the toasted bread slices with the lemon ricotta mixture and dollop the cherries with some of the juice on top. Garnish with chopped almonds and the tender tips of torn thyme sprigs. Serve with flaky sea salt and more honey on the side.