9.1.15 Fresh Melon Bruschetta
I must apologize for the nearly two week hiatus here. I know, it’s a bit inexcusable, especially given how many delicious things I’ve been cooking and eating lately, and neglecting to share with you. I hope we can still be friends. The fact is, there’s been a lot of fun and exciting things going on recently and I’ve been a little too busy celebrating.
Some recent celebratory events include Forrest and my 6 year anniversary, the completion of our seemingly never-ending (but admittedly well worth it) bathroom remodel, our mini babymoon vacation to Minneapolis, including a trip to the Minnesota State Fair (arguably the happiest place on earth), my 29th birthday, and the anticipation of our first ever Whisk happy hour event this Thursday. Yes, that’s a lot of things to celebrate. You can see why I’ve been so preoccupied.
With all this celebrating, it seems that a toast would be in order. Of course, since a toast usually involves champagne, something generally not recommended for someone in my current, pregnant state, we’re going to go with actual toast here. The bread kind. Also, my primary pregnancy craving for the past several weeks. So this is pretty perfect actually.
There’s a lot of things you can do with toast. If you start with a good piece of bread (Madison Sourdough Co’s Pepitas Polenta bread has been my go-to), sometimes all you need is a slather of melty butter and you’re good to go. Other times, you may want to get a little more creative. A few other highly recommended toast toppings include:
-fig butter and thinly sliced manchego cheese
-plain greek yogurt mixed with scallions, sliced cherry tomatoes, fresh chives, salt and pepper
-nutella with sliced bananas, honey, and sea salt
Or, you can make something like this melon bruschetta. The sweetness of the melon and honey, the heat from the chiles, and the freshness from the herbs are the perfect accompaniment to a crispy, crunchy warm piece of toast. Add a dollop of creamy ricotta, and you’ve got yourself a piece of toast worth celebrating.
Fresh Melon Bruschetta
makes about 8
- 2 cups ripe cantaloupe, finely chopped (about ¼ medium melon)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1-2 small red chiles, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- about ½ cup whole milk ricotta
- 8 medium sized slices toasted whole grain sourdough bread
- flaky sea salt for serving
1. Combine the melon, mint, cilantro, chiles, honey, and lime juice in a bowl. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes for flavors to combine.
2. Spread each piece of toast evenly with about 1 Tbsp ricotta cheese, then top with the melon mixture. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately.
