Fig & Ricotta Salata Bruschetta with Avocado

This recipe tastes as if avocado toast, classic bruschetta, and fig jam had a beautiful bite-sized baby. Sounds pretty good, right? Enjoy this recipe as a cool summer dinner, or an appetizer at any event!

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The number one thing I love about toasts, crackers, flatbreads, and all the crispy, topped breads in this family is how versatile they are. Ok, well, maybe the actual # 1 is just that they are bread, and boy, do I love bread, but the versatility is definitely tied for first place. Recipes such as this one tend to be easy to mix and match, to substitute out ingredients you have for those that might be harder to find, encouraging experimentation and kitchen creativity to use up all those leftovers – this is a sustainability dream.

Even if you aren’t in the mood to be inspired or are short on time, these little wonders deliver. Last-minute dinner guests? These make a beautiful appetizer. Too steamy out for a hot meal? These are assembly wonders with minimal cooking (and if you make the balsamic fig reduction in advance and store it in the fridge, then it is no-cook, assembly only!). Best yet – they are surprisingly filling.

Bruschetta (broo-skay-tuh). What is that? Bruschetta is an Italian antipasto (appetizer) that is inherently simple – it is usually olive oil, salt, garlic, tomato, and onion on toasted bread, though it can be as simple as just the oil, garlic, and salt, and as complicated as you want to make it. The bread is always toasted, often grilled.

Balsamic figs: We have added something special to this version with the addition of figs, a delicious seedy fruit from Mediterranean climates. I have an affinity for figs because they are easy to grow, even in cities. Unlike many other types of fruit trees, they can grow well in pots and begin producing fruit even while relatively immature and small. You can grow them easily from cuttings and enjoy the small pockets of sweetness that don’t taste quite like any other fruit.For this recipe, it doesn’t matter if you use punchier purple figs or delicate white/green figs. As long as they are ripe, soft, and sweet, you will be enjoying this recipe. If purchasing figs in larger quantities, snack on the extras with cheese or prosciutto (if you eat meat), or turn them into jam to last for months (if it lasts that long without being eaten) with [this recipe].

*Pro tip: Bruschetta can create the perfect opportunity to use old bread and this recipe can be easily scaled for the number of mouths you need to feed. If you find yourself making this bruschetta for a barbecue or when you have the grill out – the recipe does take advantage of beautiful summer harvests of tomatoes, figs, and avocado if you can get them locally – toast the bread slices al fresco. However,these toasties are an every-season wonder and our recipe notes to use the oven or toaster in case a grill is not available.

I used sourdough for this version, but you could use ciabatta or baguette if you'd like. If you don't want figs, you could substitute another jam, but make sure you pair with the balsamic for that sweet, salty flavor that is so satisfying here paired with fresh tomatoes.

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Prep Time: xx mins

Cook Time: xx mins

Makes: 8-10 hefty toasts

Ingredients

• 3-6 figs (3 if large, 6 if small)

• ¼ cup water

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• 5 slices of sourdough or similar bread, ¼ inch slices, cut in half diagonally into triangles

• 1 large or 2 small tomatoes

• 1 medium-sized avocado

• Xx ounces of ricotta salata, sliced

• Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

• Basil leaves (1 per toast)

Equipment

XX x XX baking sheet pan

Instructions

• Note: The main step to making a bruschetta like this is assembly creating the perfect bite every time by layering flavors and textures. This recipe makes 8-10 hefty toasts. For smaller slices (such as if you are putting these out for a party), it makes 18 toasts.

• Take thefigs (unpeeled) and cut off the stems.

• Cut each into eighths longways.

• Add a quarter cup of water to a small pot, turn the pot to medium-high heat, and add the fig pieces.

• Bring the water to a boil. Stir periodically, on high heat, for five minutes, using the back of your spoon to slightly smash them as they get soft.

• Lower the heat to medium-low and add a quarter cup of balsamic vinegar.

• Continue to cook at a simmer, stirring periodically and continuing to smash the figs with the back of the spoon.

• As the mixture reduces, periodically check to see if the vinegar coats the back off the spoon or runs off. If it runs off like liquid, continue to simmer until it thickens. If it coats the back of your spoon like loose jam, remove from heat. It will take about 10 minutes to reach this point.

• While the fig vinegar simmers, take bread and cut it into ½inch slices. If using a large loaf, such as a sourdough, cut each slice in half so that you are left with pieces of bread that can each be eaten in a few bites.

• *Tip: bruschetta recipes often use baguette slices, which can make for nice small rounds, but sourdough adds a tangy quality and can make for bigger pieces. Whatever bread you have on hand is fine.

• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the pieces of bread and toast in the oven at 300 ̊F for 3-5 minutes or toasted to your liking. This can also be done in the toaster, toaster oven, or grill. The bread should be toasty, but have some give and softness in the center, unlike a crostini or cracker.

• While the bread toasts, dice the tomatoes into small cubes –the smaller the bread you’ve chosen, the smaller you’ll want the tomatoes.

• Slice open an avocado longways and remove the pit, Spoon out the insides.

• Slice the ricotta salata into quarter-inch slices, one for each slice of bread.

• When the bread has toasted, assemble each bruschetta piece by first spreading a layer of avocado across the top, oiled face of bread, followed by a slice of ricotta salata, then a spoonful of fig mixture spread on to of the ricotta salata, and then several pieces of the diced tomato chunks to stick to the figs.

• Top with a piece of basil, if desired.