As promised, I said I was going to post my Cherry Studded Ricotta Tart, so here it is! Creamy, light, slightly sweet and bursting with cherry flavor, all nicely baked into an almond crust. It’s the perfect summer dessert to have out on the patio with a cup of espresso!
Deep into summer cherries are bountiful here right now, so if you don’t mind pitting fresh cherries go right ahead, you’ll need around 23 or so for a 9 inch tart. I must confess pitting is not my favorite thing to do so I cheat a little bit and use these yummy dark Morello cherries I discovered from Trader Joe’s. All you have to do is open the lid, pour them into a strainer and drain them really good.
Normally I would make a graham cracker crust for this tart but I thought I would change it up this time and make an almond crust, since almonds and cherries go so well together.
It was a great choice if I do say so myself!
Just look at that crunchy, nutty crust!
Put the espresso on, grab a slice and enjoy!
This past weekend we had relatives from out of town visiting, they wanted to go into the city to see Millenium Park and “The Bean” so we drove down, parked our car and walked all over town.
It was a gorgeous summer day, the perfect temperature to dine outside and enjoy the views.
The river looked exceptionally beautiful that day, the sun was glistening on the water, even the buildings were shining! If your visiting Chicago take the architectural boat tours it’s one of the best ways to see the city.
We made it to “The Bean” then sat and people watched by the fountain, I highly recommend it!
Of course eating and drinking along the way makes it even more fun!
- ALMOND CRUST
- 1½ cups almond meal
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- RICOTTA FILLING
- 2 cups, drained ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of cinnamon
- feel free to add 1 tablespoon of Limoncello if you so desire, optional
- 24 pitted cherries.
- FOR CRUST.
- Add melted butter to almond meal and sugar, mix well then pat into a 9" tart pan.
- Place tart pan on a baking sheet then place into a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove.
- FOR FILLING.
- With a hand mixer blend together the ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, zest and flavorings until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into the tart pan and place into the oven for 5 minutes. Remove, then carefully studd your cherries on top.
- Place cherry studded tart back into the 375 degree oven and continue baking 30-40 more minutes or until toothpick comes out clean in the center.
- Let it cool completely, then refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.
Sometimes on a hot summer night or when I’m just being lazy, I’ll put together a nice antipasto platter and we’ll have that for our main meal. My refrigerator is never without a variety of olives and cheeses and either salami or prosciutto of some sort, so it’s pretty quick for me to whip this up. This is casual dining at it’s best, just open a chilled bottle of wine, add some crusty bread then relax and enjoy!
Over the weekend I went to our local farmers market and couldn’t resist taking home a bag of these tiny saucer shaped squash and a few 8-ball zucchini, even though I had no clue how I was going to prepare them!
I’ve seen these tiny squash stuffed before and roasted, but because it’s been so hot outside I decided to make mine carpaccio style, raw uncooked thin slices tossed in olive oil and lemon with shaved parmesan and parsley, it was the perfect addition to my cool and refreshing antipasto platter. I just love the scalloped edges and the tops on the patty pan squash, it’s all edible and it makes for a nice presentation.
I also made a caprese salad to go along with everything, because in the summer that’s a staple at my house and besides I have basil growing like crazy all over my backyard!
Aaaah summertime, when the living is easy! Don’t you love it?
I couldn’t resist these beautiful rainbow carrots the other day while I was shopping, I quickly stuck them into my cart not knowing what I was going to make with them, but I was inspired by their vibrant colors!
Just look at these beauties! The colors are amazing, deep purple, yellow, red, white, peach and of course orange. I decided to make a salad, shaving the carrots into ribbons using my vegetable peeler so I could showcase all the gorgeous colors inside.
As I was shaving them their deep rich colors were even more pronounced, my favorite was the purple with the yellow center.
Surprisingly their flavor isn’t all that much different, some of the carrots might taste slightly sweeter than the others but you sure can’t beat the visual! Imagine this on a large platter as a side dish. I served it with grilled salmon, a beautiful healthy meal that needed nothing else!
Works of art for under five dollars, your guests will be impressed, it’s turns the humble carrot into a very sophisticated dish!
Of course I had to make my salad Italian style with ribbons of Parmigiano Reggiano tossed inside, I also added arugula which balanced the sweetness of the carrots perfectly.
Fresh basil, parsley and slivers of red onion added and tossed with my homemade vinaigrette, I’m telling you there wasn’t one ribbon left on the platter!
Don’t pass these babies up!
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
