Make the basil oil: pour 6 tbsp of olive oil into a blender jug and add 2 tbsp of warm water. Pull 15 medium-sized basil leaves (about 5g) from their stalks and add them to the oil with a good pinch of sea salt and a grinding or two of black pepper. Process all the ingredients to a deep green dressing.
Get an overhead grill hot. Remove the stalks from 3 or 4 large tomatoes and a handful of smaller ones. Cut the larger ones in half. Leave the small tomatoes whole. Put them all on a grill pan or baking sheet, trickle lightly with some more olive oil, and place them under the grill. Leave until their skins have started to brown here and there and the tomatoes are soft and juicy.
Remove from the heat and set aside. Toast 4 thick slices of open-textured bread until golden, then trickle with a little more olive oil. Divide 100g of soft ricotta between the toasts, either spreading in a thick wave on each or in small spoonfuls over the surface. Place the tomatoes on top of the ricotta and trickle with the juices from the grill pan. Finish with a few spoonfuls of basil oil over each. Serves 2. Ready in 15 minutes
If you are a coriander fan, then add some to the dressing with a small pinch of sugar.
A dab of garlic paste is pleasing in the dressing, introduced with the basil leaves.
A couple of anchovy fillets laid over the surface of each toast is my first choice should I feel the need to embellish my toast further.
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