A few weeks ago I was walking up and down the cheese display at the Whole Foods local equivalent grocery store near me mesmerized by all the choices.

Instead of the typical 3 or 4 dairy aisle big brands, there were literally hundreds of choices in front of me.

So of course I ended up picking what I know instead of trying something new like a big girl.

Ricotta.

Now it’s not that I haven’t had fresh ricotta before, I definitely have. It’s one of the best parts of any cannoli recipe.

But I have never bought it, brought it home and had it at my disposal for a few days.

Guys…it’s like creamy candy.

The addiction sets in fast.

Before you know it you’re on your 3rd bowl of the day with honey and fresh fruit and that’s after you’ve already taken a spoonful every time you open the fridge.

It’s the new nut butter.

When I ran out after the first purchase, I walked over to the “big brand” ricottas in the normal grocery store ready to throw a whole milk ricotta into the cart until I turned the container around and read the label.

Guar gum? Carrageenan? Xanthan gum? REALLY?!

Maybe that’s why that stuff doesn’t even compare to the creamy deliciousness of the fresh stuff.

Minus 10 more points for conventional grocery store crap.

Current score: -5000000

So off to the Whole Foods-esque store I went to get more of my fix and I haven’t been without it since.

I haven’t really used it much outside of breakfast and snacking, but this time I wanted to highlight it’s freshness in a side dish.

Zucchini are grilled, green tomatoes are sliced, roasted corn is sprinkled about and a balsamic drizzle is poured on top.

All with huge dollops of creamy, fresh ricotta in between.

It’s seriously bliss with every bite.

You could just as easily make this with the adorable round zucchini that appears in markets towards the end of summer as opposed to the regular oblong shaped I’ve used here. They taste the same, their shape is just much cuter!

If you choose to freeze zucchini, you can even make this recipe in the dead of winter and it’ll taste like the fresh, in-season produce of summer.