This is a great and easy appetizer- but since I don't really like breakfast food and I had some very ripe heirloom tomatoes staring at me as I prepared my cup of tea, I ate this for breakfast today. At 9 AM. DELICIOUS. I'm weird like that. I justified it by telling myself that since it was on toast and toast is a breakfast food it was OK. But you will probably want to make this later on in the day, at which time it would be more socially acceptable. Like, before dinner would be good.



Heirloom tomatoes are in season, and they are worth highlighting whatever chance you get! I never liked tomatoes until my mid-20s, when I tasted an heirloom tomato, at which point I realized I was just a huge tomato snob who didn't like mealy, flavorless supermarket varieties- only the very best. Luckily the trend has caught on, and you can now get heirloom tomatoes in many major supermarkets, as well as fancy stores like Whole Foods, or, of course, a farmers' market. Since the tomatoes are so good, they need hardly any embellishment- just a few accoutrements to bring out their bursting flavor and candy sweetness.


Crispy Toasts With Fresh Ricotta and Heirloom Tomatoes
I'm not giving amounts because I figure you might want to make a lot or a little, and this isn't rocket science, it's like, a piece of toast with some stuff on it. So I have complete confidence that if I give you the general concept, you will be able to figure out how to do it in a way that works for you.

Ingredients:

• crusty bread or baguette, sliced (I used country sourdough)
  
• fresh ricotta cheese (I used Bellwether Farms Jersey Ricotta)
• heirloom tomatoes, chopped (I used 2 colors so it would be prettier and tastier)
• good quality extra-virgin olive oil (I used Stonehouse)
  
• coarse salt (I used cyprus black salt from Whole Foods because it looks cool)

Method:

• Toast the bread. If you're just making a few, you can just use the toaster, but if you're making a lot, lay the bread out on a pan in a single layer and toast both sides in the oven.
  
• If necessary, cut toasts into smaller finger-food-sized pieces.
• Spread each toast with a layer of the ricotta. Top with chopped tomatoes.
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt on top. Serve immediately.
• You could add chopped herbs if desired, but if the tomatoes are at their peak there is no need.