B.C. BLUEBERRY LEMON AND RICOTTA TOAST

Add a sweet touch to your mornings with this recipe from the B.C. Blueberry Council. Featuring frozen B.C. blueberries — fresh blueberry season kicks off in July — this simple recipe sees rich ricotta cheese and sweet, sticky honey served on toast for a memorable bite that can be enjoyed at pretty much any time of the day:

■ 1 cup (250 ml) ricotta cheese

■ 1/2 cup (125 ml) frozen B.C. blueberries

■ 1 tbsp (15 ml) milk

■ Zest of 1 lemon

■ 2 sprigs fresh thyme

■ 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey

■ 3 tbsp (45 ml) butter, softened

■ Bread for toasting

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a hand mixer, add ricotta cheese and lemon zest. Mix on medium speed. As you mix, slowly drizzle in milk and increase to high speed until well-incorporated and smooth. (You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula once or twice).

2. Prepare a piping bag* fitted with a petal tip. With a rubber spatula scoop, place whipped ricotta mix into the piping bag. Cover and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.

3. Butter slices of bread and fry in a pan until golden. Set aside to cool slightly. Pipe chilled ricotta onto fried bread. Top with frozen B.C. blueberries, thyme, and drizzle with honey. Add some additional lemon zest for presentation. Serve immediately.

Tip: No piping bag? No problem! You can use a re-closable sandwich bag in a pinch. Use your rubber spatula to fill one corner of the bag with the whipped ricotta. Twist the empty part of the bag around to keep a little pressure on the ricotta. Snip the corner of the bag and pipe your ricotta onto your toasted bread.

Servings: Yields two slices