Tomato Toast with Macadamia “Ricotta”

there's something to be said about summer's lacksidasical approach to food and general meal preparation. this summer, quite the other other, i've embraced that notion wholeheartedly; making flavorful but simple salads, mixing in some breezy sauces or dressings to enliven a dish, and cooking from heidi's forthcoming gem of a book. but quite anything there has been an abundance of open-faced sandwiches served this season. i suppose the inspiration came from my mom and childhood memories. for beach lunches or sunset dinners she would pack an outsized french baguette along side various cheeses, fruit, nuts, and large tossed salad . we would cheat pieces of crusty bread and pile it with a schmear of brie, and slices of apple. but my favorite late summer meal most definitely came within the sort of my mom's tomato and mayo sandwiches which she served on onion bread with a liberal pinch of salt. the flavors and texture, and therefore the juicy ripe tomatoes made it an indulgently simple thanks to savor the season.

this summer, with an enormous enough space within the backyard, i grew tomatoes that have provided us with an abundance of fruit for many of july and august. we've been roasting them, tossing them into salads, making quick tomato sauces for pasta, and slicing them for tomato toasts. and while i really like an honest mayo-tomato toast, we've been making a tahini-yogurt tomato toast, also because the ubiquitous avocado tomato toast, but there's also been a macadamia nut based ricotta that i've been wanting to share with you that lends a striking similarity to the texture and consistency of a lightly whipped ricotta cheese. so once I was conjuring up a recipe to spotlight the black lava salt from ILĀ, i knew the right thing to pair it with. the ricotta tomato toast is rich and creamy, and gently kissed with a pinch of salt, that when prepared with fresh garden tomatoes still warm from the day's sun, it is quite possibly the most delightful thing.

i like to use a spread of heirloom tomatoes for the toast to pile high while also giving some dimension. the shiso adds a touch more of an aromatic vibe, but if it isn't available where you're basil or thai basil is great substitute.


INGREDIENTS

macadamia ricotta

• 1 cup soaked raw macadamia nuts, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh juice
• 2 teaspoons white mellow miso paste
• 2 small cloves garlic
• 8-10 tablespoons filtered water
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

tomato toasts

• 6-8 slices whole grain gluten-free bread (or bread of choice), toasted
• 1/2 pound tomatoes (see notes), sliced with 1/4" thickness
• 1/2 cup macadamia ricotta
• 1/4 cup julienned shiso
• a few pinches black lava salt (or large grain sea salt)

METHOD

macadamia ricotta

1. drain and rinse the macadamia nuts and place in an upright high-speed blender with nutritional yeast, vinegar, lemon juice, miso, garlic, 8 tablespoons of water, and salt. blend on high for 1 minute, scraping down the edges of the blender and adding water a tablespoon at a time, until you reach a fluffy creamy consistency. taste and adjust salt, vinegar, or lemon as necessary. transfer ricotta to a bowl and canopy with cling wrap; refrigerate until able to use.

toasts

1. remove macadamia ricotta from the fridge and put aside ,
2. top toasted bread with macadamia ricotta, sliced tomatoes, julienned shiso, and a couple of pinches of black salt. cut the toast in half and serve.

enjoy!