These gorgeous bruschetta are the perfect dairy item for your party. They look beautiful, they’re delicious, and yes, they’re actually easy to prep. (You can do it!)
I first served these bruschetta this past Shavuot. I wanted something new, special, and beautiful, with fresh new flavors.
I had made three variations–this pear flavor (my personal favorite), one with fresh peaches (will have to wait until spring again for those), and the beets. During the summertime, they were one of the appetizers I served at a dairy Sheva Brachos. I made lots and plated them on big wood serving boards that were in the center of the table (no need for flowers when you have this appetizer!).
Yes, I understand that you’ll save these for when you’re entertaining. They’re the type of dish that will delight your guests, but don’t ask your picky kids to test them out for you.
I had so much fun planning the components, preparing, and plating these.
If you want to swap ingredients, keep this formula in mind for great dairy bruschetta:
Bruschetta + Dairy Cream + A Fruit/Veg + Something Crunchy + Something Green + A Drizzle
What do you need to prep?
- First, make some bruschetta.
- I used Leah Schapira’s method from this Feta Eggplant Carpaccio where they are toasted simply with olive oil and spices.
- Note that you can do this ahead of time! Toast your bruschetta and then freeze them! When ready to serve, you can warm them up covered for a few minutes or simply bring them to room temperature.
- Next, you need to roast your fruit/veg if you’re using a cooked version. I roasted these pears (tossed with olive oil, honey, salt, cinnamon, and a splash of tequila or bourbon–whatever you have available)–and the flavor that results really pops.
- When I used nectarines in the summer, though, I kept them fresh.
- Beets can be roasted simply with salt and olive oil, although some dried herbs never hurts.
- The last prep ahead step is making a ricotta cream. Simply blend your ricotta with a bit of honey, a dash of salt, and a tiny bit of lemon. Be careful not to add too much of anything or your ricotta will get liquidy. It needs to be thick. I found that ricotta that was sitting in my fridge tended to get too liquidy when blended. I had much more success using very fresh ricotta.
Now it’s time to plate. Yay. So fun.
Simply pipe the ricotta cream onto your bruschetta.
Lay a couple of pear slices on top.
Add some sunflower seeds (your crunchy element),
a drizzle of honey (your drizzle),
and a spring or two of Arugula (your green).
Beauty.
Now let’s make some Beet Bruschetta. Now, ideally, beet bruschetta should get a goat cheese cream, but I feel it’s fussy to make two different creams, and the ricotta one is so delicious and totally works.
Add some roasted beets.
Granola is my crunch on this version (this is crushed up Nature Valley Granola bars).
I’m adding dots of pesto for my green,
and finally, a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Bruschetta With Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 long baguette, toasted
Ricotta Cream:
- 16 oz ricotta Cheese (fresh!)
- 1 tbsp honey
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Pears:
- 2 pears, sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp bourbon, tequila, or scotch
- pinch salt
- pinch cinnamon
Toppings for Pear Bruschetta:
- sunflower seeds
- honey, for drizzling
- Arugula
Beets:
- 2 beets, peeled and cubed
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Toppings for Beet Bruschetta:
- granola
- prepared pesto
- balsamic glaze
Instructions
- In a blender, combine ricotta cheese, honey and salt. Blend to combine until smooth. If the mixture is still thick, add the lemon juice, one tsp at a time, blending in between. Remove and add to a piping bag (no tip is needed).
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a pile of pear slices on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, honey, bourbon, salt, and cinnamon. Toss to combine and lay in a flat layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- When ready to serve, pipe ricotta cream on bruschetta. Top with a couple slices of pears. Add nuts in areas that are not covered with pear. Drizzle with honey and top with a leaf or two or Arugula.
- To prepare the beet version, toss beets with salt and olive oil on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until beets are soft (if you are using pre-cooked beets, you can roast for 10-15 minutes). Time will vary depending on the size of your diced beets.
- Pipe ricotta cream on bruschetta. Top with beets. Add granola to areas that do not have beets. Dot pesto in other areas. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
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