Honey-Ricotta Crostini

I recently moved to a new part of the country and I have been having a MOMENT with all of the fresh fruit native to this region, debatably overindulging at my fair share of farmers markets. And with all of this summer fruit collecting in my kitchen, unsurprisingly, some of it has gone a bit past its prime. Do I worry? No. Why? Because I have a fail-safe in my back pocket! A bona fide #useitup strategy that not only saves the waste but is so ridiculously satisfying that I’ll often let fruit over ripen just to enjoy this dish.

It’s really simple. Take some bread, toast it in a pan with some olive oil, mix ricotta cheese with honey to taste, top with your fruit and any additional garnishes that your dream up, and enjoy! A real choose-your-own-adventure. The olive oil and ricotta offer a fattiness that balances out the sweetness and acidity of the honey and fruit, and all of that velvety goodness is cut with the deep crunch of your toasted bread. With herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, and more, you can add layers of flavor, texture, and complexity to this base, but if all you have are the basics (bread, ricotta, honey, fruit, olive oil), you will not be disappointed!

I don’t typically eat a ton of dairy, so I basically never have ricotta just hanging out in my refrigerator, but if I’m saving a ton of fruit and serving a crowd (this makes an awesome dessert for a summer potluck or picnic), I’ll indulge in a small tub. There are tons of other options, however, many of which are vegan! These include vegan ricotta cheese or cream cheeses. As long as you stick with the core foundation (crunchy bread, oil, a fatty neutral spread, honey, fruit), you can’t go wrong!