Recipe of the Week: Artichoke Pesto and Lemon Ricotta Crostini

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Did you know that lemons are one of the healthiest foods on the planet? That’s right, according to Fitness magazine, the sour yellow fruit surpasses potatoes, salmon and even broccoli—due to the fact that one lemon has more than 100 percent of your daily intake of Vitamin-C.

That’s just one of the many reasons why we love food and entertaining expert Heather Christo’s Artichoke Pesto and Lemon Ricotta Crostini appetizer recipe. It even calls for three cloves of garlic, which cracks the magazine’s top 10 as the eighth healthiest morsel.

“This appetizer is a lovely and mild blend of crispy toasted baguette, bright lemony whipped ricotta and a chunky artichoke pesto,” Christo says. “It is a perfect combination of subtle flavor and wonderful texture.”

Ingredients

Artichoke Pesto:

• 3 cloves garlic
• zest and juice of two lemons
• I bag/box Frozen Artichoke hearts (thawed)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Kosher salt to taste

Lemon Ricotta:

• 8 ounces ricotta cheese
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• Toasted baguette slices with olive oil
• Fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a food processor combine the garlic and lemon zest. Pulse until it is minced.

2. Add the artichoke hearts and a generous sprinkle of salt, then pulse a few times, then switch on and drizzle the olive oil in. It should still be chunky and thick. Taste for salt and set aside.

3. In a small bowl add the ricotta, lemon zest and lemon juice and using a fork whip it all together. Season to taste with kosher salt and a generous amount of black pepper.

4. Spread a thick serving of the ricotta over a toasted slice of baguette and then top woth a generous amount of the artichoke pesto. Garnish with fresh parsley and another crack of fresh black pepper.