Toast with ricotta and cime di rapa

Method

1. Fry the bread in olive oil until it’s golden brown, then leave the slices to cool on a paper towel. 2. If the ricotta is smooth, just season it with a little salt. If not, loosen with a dash of whole milk. The texture should be like a heavy mayonnaise. 3. Put the ricotta in a piping bag. 4. Wash the cime di rapa in plenty of water, discarding any yellow leaves. Pat the pieces dry. 5. Break the cime di rapa into smaller parts; size matters here. If the cime di rapa is harvested young, about the size of large flowering broccoli, then you can just cut one piece into two to three parts. If it’s larger, separate the stalks from the leaves and cut them up. 6. Lightly crush the garlic and cut the chillies in half. 7. Take a pan or pot that can hold all of the cime di rapa. I use a heavy-bottomed pot since it holds the heat really well, but a non-stick frying pan would also be good. Heat to medium high, add olive oil and the cime di rapa, fry for 2 minutes, and then add the chillies and garlic. Fry for another 2–3 minutes. 8. The cime di rapa should be slightly brown and tender. Turn off the heat, but leave it in the pan to season with salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice. It’s okay to be generous with the seasoning, especially with lemon juice and salt, because the acidity and salt will support and open up the green’s peppery bitterness. 9. Lay out the slices of fried bread and pipe on ricotta to cover the surface. Then place the cooked cime di rapa on top, including the pieces of cooked chillies and garlic. 10. Garnish with crushed garlic. 11. Serve straight away.