Tomato Bruschetta with Bacon and Blue Cheese

By mz0926

Why this recipe works:
Normally, tomato bruschetta suffers from two main problems: watery, bland tomatoes and soggy bread. We ditched the tomato water by treating the tomatoes with salt and sugar and spinning them in a salad spinner to shed as much moisture as possible. We fixed the soggy toasts by making a moisture barrier of whipped ricotta cheese (arugula pesto and olive tapenade in the variations) and spreading it over the toasts before we topped them with tomatoes. The spread also acted as a glue that held the tomatoes in place.

Ingredients

• Makes 12 toasts
• If you can’t find ciabatta, a loaf of hearty Italian bread can be used instead.
• Ingredients4 slices bacon
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 loaf ciabatta bread, ends discarded, sliced crosswise into 12 (1/2-inch-thick) pieces
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 2 ounces blue cheese (1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions 1. Cook bacon in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate to cool. Crumble bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside. Combine tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, and sugar in bowl, and let sit for 30 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to salad spinner and spin until excess liquid has been removed, 45 to 60 seconds, redistributing tomatoes several times during spinning. Return tomatoes to bowl along with 3 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine.
2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches away from broiler element) and heat broiler. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Broil bread until deep golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Lightly rub 1 side of bread with cut side of garlic and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Process ricotta, blue cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. With processor running, slowly add remaining 3 tablespoons oil until incorporated. Spread ricotta mixture evenly on toast slices. Top toasts with tomatoes and bacon. Sprinkle with chives. Serve