Spicy Ricotta Bruschetta

I'll admit, I had high hopes for this one. As part of my repertoire for new cheese-y recipes (all of which are being submitted for a contest through Taste of Home), I tried to replicate the ridiculously flavorful bruschetta that I fawned over from La Tavola. Yeah...didn't exactly turn out how I thought. For one, I've decided that I need a new bruschetta recipe. The one I use most frequently is a part of the Hot Bruschetta Brie appetizer that I posted not long ago. Somehow, you don't notice the lack of flavor from the bruschetta when its mixed in with the rich and creamy brie. By itself? Ehh (shrugs shoulders). I've eaten a LOT of bruschetta in my day and I can now firmly say that this one just won't cut it. But i digress.

The hors d'oeuvres I attempted to replicate went like this-- one slice of crusty bread, covered with a thick layer of spicy ricotta cheese, topped with tomato bruschetta. Delish, right? Not too complicated, right? WRONG. Well ok, it's not complicated. But I clearly missed the boat on SO many levels. For one, the spicy ricotta. My first thought was to mix it with roasted red peppers to give it a spicy kick, so I found this handy roasted pepper bruschetta-in-a-jar from Whole Foods. Bingo! Except that it had no flavor. It was also mixed with artichokes. I was very disappointed. If I thought the bruschetta topping would save it, I was dead wrong. I don't think I've ever attempted something with so much promise to turn out to be so BLAH. Food should never be BLAH. Kinda looks pretty though, right?


Anyway, I guess the good news is that we never get better if we don't fail. This has made me reflect on what I LOVE about bruschetta- the slightly, sweet flavor from perfect tomatoes or balsamic vinegar-- maybe even sweet onions, fresh basil and garlic...the perfect combination is out there somewhere. So, I'll add this to my "ugh" list of experiments and keep trying!