For a beautiful and easy hors d’oeuvre, celebrate the advent of late spring/early summer produce by piling it onto ricotta-topped toast. A generous shower of salt, pepper, and lemon makes the flavors sparkle, and edible flowers and herbs add ornamentation and flavor in equal measure. Start with good bread – I love the seeded sourdough from Henton Hill Farm, available through Local Foods Mohawk Valley and at the Hamilton Farmers Market – and spread with ricotta, then arrange a colorful riot of thinly sliced vegetables, herbs, and flowers on top. The vegetables listed below are merely suggestions; think of these toasts as an invitation to buy whatever looks best at the market that week!
4 slices of sturdy bread
1 cup ricotta
The juice and zest of one small organic lemon
Salt and pepper
1 cup freshly podded peas
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
4 radishes, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
A small handful of fresh mint, basil, tarragon, or parsley
Edible flowers
Other ideas: a few spears of shaved asparagus, thinly sliced tiny zucchini, microgreens, cherry tomatoes, garlic scapes
In a small bowl, mix one cup ricotta with the lemon juice and zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside while you toast the bread and prep the vegetables, making sure to slice them as thinly as possible.
Spread each toast with about ¼ cup of the ricotta, then top with approximately ¼ cup of peas. Use your knife to lightly press the peas into the ricotta so they stay put. Season the first layer with a sprinkle of salt and another grind of pepper. Scatter the scallions atop the peas, dividing them between the four slices. Top with the remaining vegetables, then tuck the herbs and flowers into gaps that will cradle them nicely. Sprinkle the toasts with another pinch of salt, more pepper, and a little squeeze of lemon. Cut in half to serve.
