Whipped Ricotta Toast with Balsamic Cherries

Whipped ricotta toast with deep red, fresh cherries tossed in balsamic vinegar and scattered with some chopped basil leaves. So pretty, so easy and so delicious!

I love pretty things, don't you? When food looks pretty it has to taste just as good as it looks and this whipped ricotta toast with balsamic cherries it just that. It couldn't be easier to make (which I love as always) and tastes incredible. Why have I never tried cherries with balsamic vinegar before!?

I stumbled across a few recipes recently for cherry and goats cheese crostini. As delicious as it sounds I've totally overindulged in goats cheese recently. I mean I love it, especially a tangy, crumbly one with salty prosciutto crudo on crackers but you know when you just have too much of one thing? Well, that's been me with goats cheese recently. The cherries however, looked absolutely gorgeous with their deep ruby red colour against the white, creamy cheese. I knew I wanted to recreate this somehow...step in the whipped ricotta.

Ingredients:

8.8 oz (250g) cherries

8.8 oz (250g) ricotta

zest of ¼ lemon

2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 small bunch basil , finely chopped

4 slices of ciabatta bread

1 teaspoon olive oil

salt and pepper

Instructions

Brush each side of the bread with a little oil then place on a hot griddle pan until toasted on each side, there should be nice char marks on the bread.

Cut the cherries in half and remove the stones and stalks. Add to a bowl with the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.

To make the whipped ricotta, add the ricotta to a food processor with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend for a couple seconds until smooth and creamy.

Spread the toast generously with ricotta and top with cherries. Finally, scatter over some finely chopped basil and serve.