Nourish: August Fruit of the Month — Blackberries

Blackberry Basil Bruschetta with Whipped Ricotta

Grilled bread, creamy whipped ricotta, macerated blackberries with torn basil and a balsamic drizzle — a ten-minute starter that tastes like it came from somewhere much more serious than your kitchen.

15 Prep time

5 cook time

4 serves

My mom and I picked blackberries every August. Not from a farm, not from a store — from the wild bushes that grew along the edge of our property, the ones that came back every year without being asked to. We'd go out with a bowl each, sometimes a bowl and a pot each, and by the time we came back inside our fingertips were stained and the bowls were bursting with berries. She'd make cobbler with the first bowl and freeze the rest for another day.

There is a version of August that lives right there — standing at the edge of the property with stained fingers, eating half of what you picked before you've even made it back inside. This bruschetta is what happens when you give those berries five more minutes and a piece of grilled bread.

The maceration does most of the work. Ten minutes with honey and balsamic and the blackberries release their juices into something jammy and deeply flavored. Whipped ricotta takes about the same time. Grilled bread takes five minutes. The whole thing is done before anyone realizes you've been cooking, and it tastes like something from a restaurant that only takes reservations.

August blackberries are brief and generous. Use them in the cobbler. Use them here too. There's enough for both.

Ingredients

• For the whipped ricotta:
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• Pinch of salt and cracked black pepper
• For the blackberry topping:
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• •–10 fresh basil leaves, torn
• For the bruschetta:
• 1 baguette or sourdough loaf, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing
• 1 garlic clove, halved (for rubbing)
• For finishing:
• Good balsamic glaze or aged balsamic, for drizzling
• Extra basil leaves
• Flaky sea salt
• Cracked black pepper

Method

1. 1 Make the whipped ricotta: In a bowl, whisk together the ricotta, olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until smooth and slightly lightened — about 1 minute by hand. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
2. 2 Macerate the blackberries: In a small bowl, gently toss the blackberries with honey, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Let sit for at least 10 minutes — they'll release their juices and become jammy and deeply flavored. Fold in the torn basil just before serving.
3. 3 Grill the bread: Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush each bread slice with olive oil on both sides and grill for 1–2 minutes per side until golden with grill marks. Remove from heat and immediately rub the cut side of the garlic clove across each slice while still warm.
4. 4 Assemble: Spread a generous spoonful of whipped ricotta onto each grilled slice. Spoon the blackberry and basil mixture over the top, letting some of the juices soak into the bread.
5. 5 Finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, a few extra basil leaves, flaky salt, and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Britt's note

The whipped ricotta can be made up to a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. The blackberry topping is best made fresh but can sit for up to an hour before serving.
No grill? Toast the bread in a 425°F oven for 8–10 minutes flipping halfway, or use a dry cast iron skillet over high heat.

Some things come back every year without being asked. The blackberry bushes. The August heat. The instinct to make something before they're gone.

Cook what's in season.

Nourish what you have.

Feed yourself the way you'd feed someone you love.

A deep breath in a beautiful life.

Talk soon.

— Britt