Heirloom Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic and Herbed Whipped Ricotta

Dressed for a formal evening, or a backyard grill out, this dish is a great addition to any table! A perfect chance to highlight those mouth watering tomatoes, and crack out the fancy olive oil!

Only two things that money can’t buy, and that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes! John Denver knew a few things about a few things, that’s for sure, and I just can’t seem to write this post without humming ‘what’d life be without home grown tomatoes?’ to cheer me on! I love many things about this dish, but specifically the pure simplicity of it all. When you have a great tomato, don’t mask the flavor in a thick sauce or soup-show it off to the world! Not only does this plate feature the gorgeous colors that you can only get from an heirloom, but the flavors are subtly enhanced with just a drizzle of oil (I’m becoming repetitive here, but try and spring for a quality oil-you will taste the difference, I swear) and salt to make those flavors pop! A true taste of summertime ‘sweatin and a diggin’!

Pure Gold. Garlic. Yup, the kitchen’s diamond that can be transformed in many ways. I’ve tried roasting garlic in many different ways, and depending on the end goal, each have their place, whether its unpeeled cloves mixed with veg on a baking sheet, minced in a glaze, whole around a bird, or this method with tin foil. By wrapping the garlic and adding olive oil when baking, this method creates soft cloves vs the crispy version, which not only can be a wonderful addition directly in sauces or other smooth recipes, but also keeps really well for a few days! Simply wrap up the unused cloves in the tin foil, place in a plastic bag, and refrigerate. This is a great way to save time for future meals!

*If you aren’t low carb, it’s almost sacrilege to not have a great crusty bread handy. There are few things in life that top the flavor of warmed, garlic infused olive oil directly from the oven when you roast your bulb (ok, maybe world peace, solving hunger, curing cancer…but this is close). Soak up that goodness!

Looking for other delicious ways to enjoy your garden harvest? Check out these other tomato dishes:

Feta and Kalamata Olive Bruschetta

Chive and Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomato

Sausage and Herb Baked Tomatoes

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Heirloom Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic and Herbed Whipped Ricotta

Hannah

A simple and elegant dish that highlights quality ingredients in their true form, this is equally as good for an appetizer at your next formal occasion, or a side dish for a warm day on the patio!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine French, Italian, Mediterranean

Servings 4

Equipment

• Kitchen knife
• Whisk
• Tin Foil
• Mixing bowl

Ingredients

  

• 1 bulb Garlic
• 3 large Heirloom Tomatoes
• 2/3 cup Ricotta Cheese
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 squeezed Lemon (optional)
• 1 sprig Fresh Rosemary
• 1 sprig Fresh Thyme
• 6-8 large Leaves Fresh Basil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400. Slice the top off of the bulb of garlic so each clove is slightly exposed. Place on a square of tinfoil and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkle of salt. Wrap in foil completely and place in oven to roast, about 40 minutes. Remove and carefully opening to cool, set aside. Save excess olive oil!
• In mixing bowl, add ricotta, about 2/3 of the olive oil, lemon if using, thyme and rosemary. Using a whisk, vigorously whip until a creamy paste forms.
• When garlic is cooled enough to be handled, squeeze 4 cloves into the ricotta paste (the sharp garlic taste tames when roasting, so don't fear the quantity!). Mash/whisk together until fully incorporated. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasoning to taste.

  *I love removing the bulb of garlic from the tin foil and pouring the excess olive oil in to the ricotta-it adds a marinated garlic flavor!
• To plate, slice heirloom tomatoes in wedges and form a circle, spooning the ricotta mixture in the middle. Drizzle all with the remaining olive oil, chiffonade basil, and a sprinkle of salt.

  Enjoy!

Keyword Basil, Fresh, Healthy, Heirloom Tomato, Keto, Ricotta, Roasted Garlic, vegetarian