Thursday, July 12, 2012

Tomato Love Is Here....

Where does my love for tomatoes stem from?  Most likely my grandparents; who grew their own every summer.  Not an easy task in their tiny cement backyard, but they did it and we always had fresh tomatoes on hand.

My grandparents and their prized tomato plants

To this day I still eat a lot of tomatoes and I'm always looking for cool new ways to prepare them.  So I am happy to join in on the Tomato Love Recipe Exchange, hosted by Gimme Some Oven & Bake Your Day, sponsored this week by KitchenAid.  If you love tomatoes at all you'll want to be sure to check out all the recipes and also, visit Recipe for Change to learn more about how to support tomato farmers.

Roasted tomatoes make great bruchetta toppings, and bruschetts's make great appetizers. I know what you're thinking: another recipe for bruschetta...how original.  But trust me...this one is different and you will love it.


Bruschetta with Roasted Tomatoes & Whipped Ricotta
(adapted from Domenica Marchetti)

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs fennel seeds, crushed
1 1/2 lbs cherry tomatoes, halved
12 slices crusty bread, toasted & drizzled with olive oil
8 ozs ricotta cheese, whipped with olive oil & salt to taste

In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic, crushed fennel seeds and some salt.  Let stand for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300.  Arrange tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet, spoon oil mixture over tomatoes. Bake until shriveled & brown about 11/2 hours.

To assemble bruschetta:  Spread each piece of toasted bread with some whipped ricotta and top with a generous amount of tomatoes. Arrange on a platter to serve.


5 comments:

  1. I have loved tomatoes ever since I was little. I would eat them like apples, just biting into them, making a mess.

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  2. whipping the ricotta is a brilliant idea! Love tomatoes and that picture is precious

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  3. So glad you are joining us. Thank you so much! I adore roasted tomatoes!

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  4. Love tomatoes! I could eat them all day every day - Italians have a love affair with them I think ;) I grew up on tomato sauce haha. Roasted tomatoes are absolutely delicious!

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  5. This looks delish! !!! They grew the best tomatoes. I love this picture. I miss them so much <3

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