Boursin, Roquette, and Radish
Makes 4 tartines
The world’s first variety of Boursin—the classic Garlic and Fine Herbs—was created in 1957 in Normandy by none other than François Boursin. His inspiration came from a traditional French dish for which dinner guests are offered a bowl of fromage frais (fresh cheese, like ricotta) and bowls of fines herbes (fresh chervil, parsley, chives, and tarragon) to mix together as they like. The resulting Boursin cheese became the first flavored cheese to be sold in France. While Boursin does not normally grace a refined after-dinner cheese board, it is creamy, tangy, delicious, and popular around the world. As a bonus, it makes a wonderful base for a tartine. This one is so easy, topped with roquette (the French word for arugula, or rocket as it is called in Britain), radishes, and chives. A lighter, minerally, high-acid wine such as Chablis or Sancerre pairs perfectly with this dish.
4 tartine bread slices
1 Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs cheese, quartered
4 small handfuls arugula
4 large radishes, very thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse salt
1 bunch chives, snipped, for garnish
Arrange bread on a platter or individual plates. Spread each with 1 quarter of cheese and top with a handful of arugula, pressing into cheese to hold in place. Arrange a quarter of the radish slices atop arugula on each slice, overlapping if necessary. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Garnish with chives and serve.
Lentil and Sausage Salad
Makes 4 tartines
This classic French bistro salad tastes just as good on bread as it does on a plate. I like to use the tiny, tender du Puy lentils from France, which hold their shape extremely well, but feel free to use any kind of lentil you like, adjusting the cooking time accordingly. If you would like to make this salad vegetarian, use cubes of Gruyère cheese instead of sausage; if you would like to make it vegan, use tofu instead of sausage or cheese. A great wine to pour with this is a younger, lighter Malbec- or Cabernet-based red from the hinterlands of Bordeaux such as Cahors or Bergerac.
1/2 cup small French du Puy lentils, picked over, rinsed, and drained
2 small carrots, peeled, 1 halved crosswise and 1 diced
2 small celery stalks, 1 halved crosswise and 1 diced
1 small onion, halved
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1 thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
4 ounces cooked smoked garlic sausage, such as kielbasa, diced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small shallot, minced
4 tartine bread slices
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Combine lentils, carrot and celery halves, onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf in a pot. Add enough cold water to cover ingredients by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes; time will vary depending on size and age of lentils. Drain lentils, discard vegetables and herbs, and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
Meanwhile, place sausage in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat and sauté until fat is rendered and sausage is crisp and browned. Using a slotted utensil, transfer sausage to a paper towel to drain.
Whisk vinegar and mustard in a bowl. Drizzle in the oil in a steady stream and whisk until emulsion forms. Season vinaigrette generously with salt and pepper.
Transfer lentils to a bowl. Stir in the diced carrot and celery, sausage, and shallot. Add vinaigrette and toss well. Season salad generously with salt and pepper.
Grill, broil, or toast the bread. Arrange toasts on a platter or individual plates. Divide salad evenly among toasts. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Flageolet Beans, Roast Lamb, and Shallots
Makes 6 tartines
Small, light-green flageolet beans are called the caviar of beans. They are almost never available fresh, even in France, and are most typically served alongside roast lamb. You can buy them dried or canned. If you cannot find them, use canned navy, cannellini, or great Northern beans instead. Uncork a southern red Rhône wine such as Gigondas, or a named Côte-du-Rhône village such as Rasteau or Cairanne.
1 (1- to 1-1/4-pound) lamb leg steak
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 thyme sprigs, leaves finely chopped
3 rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 lemon, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.11-ounce) can cooked flageolet beans, rinsed and drained
8 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
6 tartine bread slices
Grated lemon peel, for garnish
Coarse salt, for garnish
Place lamb in a large ziplock bag. Combine garlic, thyme, rosemary, and anchovy fillets in a small bowl. Whisk in 5 tablespoons olive oil. Squeeze in juice from lemon halves and whisk to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Pour marinade over lamb and work into meat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Place beans in a processor and pulse to a coarse purée. With machine running, stream in 5 tablespoons oil and purée until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let stand until ready to use. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in small, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until crisp, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium-size heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Remove lamb from ziplock, allowing liquid to drip back into bag. Brown lamb very well on first side, turn over, and repeat on second side; do not rush the process. Roast in skillet to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium rare and 10 minutes for medium. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut lamb into thin slices.
Grill, broil, or toast the bread. Arrange toasts on a platter or individual plates. Spread evenly with bean purée and top with slices of lamb. Garnish with frizzled shallots, lemon peel, and coarse salt and serve.
Ratatouille
Makes 8 tartines
Ratatouille is a classic French Provençal sautéed vegetable dish. While it originated in Nice, it is now popular along the entire Mediterranean coast and, indeed, throughout much of France. It is usually served room temperature and is most commonly a side dish at dinner, though one can find it in crepes, omelets, and on its own. Legend has it that the word ratatouille is the love child of two French verbs— ratouiller and tatouiller —expressive forms of the French verb touiller , which means “to stir up.” Cooking the vegetables separately is a bit time consuming but yields a traditionally superior final product. Also, this is a beautiful do-ahead dish, as it actually tastes better the next day . . . or the next! These vegetables are also delicious tossed with pasta. This calls for a younger Côtes-du-Rhône or other earthy Grenache-based wine from the south of France.
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 thyme sprigs
Pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 onions, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 small eggplant, diced
3 medium zucchini, diced
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
8 tartine bread slices
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse salt, for sprinkling
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium-size heavy skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, garlic, thyme, and sugar and cook until a thick sauce forms, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper. Set tomato sauce aside.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and bell peppers and sauté until tender but not browned, about 20 minutes. Transfer to another large, heavy skillet. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in original skillet. Add eggplant and sauté until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer to skillet with onions and peppers. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in original skillet. Add zucchini and sauté until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to skillet with onions, peppers, and eggplant. Add tomato sauce and mix well. Cook over medium-low heat to meld flavors, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in herbes de Provence. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. (Can be made several days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
Grill, broil, or toast the bread. Arrange toasts on a platter or individual plates. Divide ratatouille evenly among toasts. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Garnish with Parmesan and basil.
Anchoïade, Roasted Bell Peppers, Goat Cheese, and Basil
Makes 6 tartines
Anchoïade is a classic Provençal dip or spread. As anchovies are the stars of the show, you have to love them to love this tartine. (If you want to take a bit of the bite out of the little fishies, you can soak them in milk or water for 10 minutes before using.) And an affinity for garlic doesn’t hurt either! I’ve paired the spread with other yummy Provençal ingredients, including roasted red peppers, goat cheese, and basil. While it is easy enough to roast your own peppers, directions for which I have provided here, you can certainly purchase a jar of roasted peppers instead. Your best beverage bet to complement both the anchovies and the goat cheese is a Loire Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé, a Provençal rosé, or, yes, believe it or not, Champagne.
3 (2-ounce) tins oil-packed anchovies, drained
3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 (or more) cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large red, yellow, and/or orange bell peppers
6 tartine bread slices
1 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese
12 large basil leaves, cut into chiffonade, for garnish
Place anchovies and garlic in a mini food processor or blender and process to a paste. Add butter and process until smooth. (You can use a full-size processor; if you do, make sure to scrape down sides of bowl regularly.) Transfer mixture to a bowl. Whisk in the vinegar. Whisk in 1/4 cup oil in a steady stream to form a thick spread, whisking in more oil if too thick. Cover and refrigerate anchoïde until ready to use. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Bring just to room temperature before using.)
Heat broiler to high and arrange rack in upper third of oven. Place bell peppers on rack and broil until blackened and blistered on all sides, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, roast peppers on the grill or over an open stove burner flame until blackened and blistered on all sides. Immediately transfer peppers to a heatproof bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes. When peppers are cool enough to handle, peel and/or rub off blackened skins. Remove cores, seeds, and membranes and cut peppers into strips. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)
Grill, broil, or toast the bread. Arrange toasts on a platter or individual plates. Spread each toast generously with anchoïde. Top with pepper strips then goat cheese, dividing evenly. Garnish with basil and serve.
Potatoes, Bayonne Ham, and Raclette Cheese
Makes 4 tartines
Raclette is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese that dates from medieval times. It was originally consumed by cow herders in mountainous Switzerland and the French region of Savoie, and remains popular with the Swiss and French to this day. Cow herders would eat the cheese as is during the day, but come nightfall they would place it next to a campfire, and when it had melted, they would scrape it atop bread ( racler means “to scrape” in French). That simple act has evolved into a famous dish, also called raclette, in which a half wheel of the cheese is placed on a special stand in front of an open fire and scraped onto a plate as it melts. The cheese is served with country bread, boiled potatoes, cured meats, cornichons, and sometimes little pickled white onions. Here I’ve put everything on a tartine.
Raclette is easy to find in cheese stores and supermarkets with fine cheese sections. If you cannot find it, you can use Gruyère, Comté, Emmentaler, Appenzeller, or Morbier instead. Delectable dry-cured Bayonne ham from the Basque region in the southwest of France is a quintessential French ingredient. Look for it at specialty food stores, or use prosciutto instead. Pour a Bourgogne Rouge if you can spring for it; otherwise a Cru Beaujolais such as Chiroubles, Fleurie, Morgon, or Brouilly will do nicely.
4 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 tartine bread slices
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
8 thin slices Bayonne ham or prosciutto
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound raclette cheese, trimmed and thinly sliced
Cornichons, for serving
Pickled baby white onions, for serving
Place potatoes in a pot. Cover with cold water. Bring to boil and cook until tender; do not overcook. Drain.
Preheat broiler. Arrange bread on a baking sheet. Spread each slice with 1 teaspoon mustard, top with 2 slices of ham, and arrange 1/4 of the potato slices over each. Season with salt and pepper. Cover each with slices of raclette. Broil until raclette melts.
Transfer tartines to a platter or individual plates. Serve immediately with cornichons and pickled onions atop or alongside.
Sautéed Belgian Endive, Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Honey
Makes 4 tartines
Belgian endive did indeed originate in Belgium in the nineteenth century, but it is now popular just about everywhere, especially in France, where its slightly bitter flavor is beloved both fresh and cooked. A common French salad is one of chopped Belgian endive, crumbled blue cheese, and walnuts, and those flavors shine here, though the endive is sautéed so it’s easier to pile on toast. I call for a French blue because this is, after all, a tartine, but any kind of blue cheese works well here, particularly if you prefer your blue a little less pungent. But the drizzle of honey complements the strong flavors of the endive and cheese beautifully. To drink, try a younger demi-sec Vouvray or another slightly sweet wine with good acid, such as a German Riesling Kabinett.
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
6 heads Belgian endive, slivered crosswise, cores discarded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 tartine bread slices
1/4 pound Roquefort cheese, Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, Saint Agur, or any fine blue cheese, crumbled
4 teaspoons (or more) honey
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Melt butter with oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add endive and sauté until wilted and tender, about 10 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly. Stir in parsley.
Preheat broiler. Arrange bread on a baking sheet. Divide endive mixture evenly among bread slices. Sprinkle each evenly with cheese. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon honey, adding more if desired. Broil until cheese bubbles and melts. Transfer tartines to a platter or individual plates. Garnish with walnuts and serve.
Roasted Bone Marrow with Pickled Red Onions and Watercress
Makes 4 tartines
Bone marrow is beloved in France and chefs often place a disc of it atop a steak, or whisk it into a sauce for extra richness. But perhaps it is at its best just roasted and spread on toast. All animal bones have marrow in them, but when you’re talking roasted bone marrow, you’re usually talking about the femur bones of beef cows. These bones are simple to roast and eat because they are straight, wide, and offer lots of easy-to-access marrow. Buy them at a reputable butcher shop and get the butcher to split them vertically for you. Roasted bone marrow doesn’t need much more than lots of salt and pepper, but pickled red onions and watercress add a refreshing contrast of flavor and texture. No watercress? Use spinach leaves or arugula instead. If you’re a vegetarian or just don’t like bone marrow, never fear. Spread your bread with goat cheese and top with the onions and watercress. When all else fails, Champagne comes to the rescue, and it is parfait here.
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon coarse salt
2 large marrow bones, split vertically
Olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tartine bread slices
1 bunch watercress, thin stems and leaves only
Place onion in a small glass bowl. Whisk water, vinegar, sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon salt together in another bowl; make sure sugar and salt dissolve. Pour the mixture over the onion. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. (Can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.) Drain onion.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set marrow bones cut side up on foil. Drizzle lightly with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until bubbling and heated through, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, grill, broil, or toast the bread. Arrange toasts on a platter or individual plates. Spread marrow from 1 marrow bone half onto each toast. Season with salt and pepper. Top toasts with watercress and drained pickled onions. Serve immediately.
Provençal Tuna and Vegetable Salad
Makes 4 tartines
This is a takeoff on pan bagnat, a sandwich that is a street food specialty of Nice and beloved throughout Provence and, indeed, all of France. It means “wet bread” in a combination of the French and Occitan languages, and has long been prepared as a way to use up day-old bread. Pan bagnat is essentially a country roll filled with something similar to salad Niçoise. Needless to say, my version is open-faced! If you want to splurge, get premium tuna packed in oil—it’s delicious. The wine choice is obvious here: a chilled bottle of really good Provençal rosé.
1 (5- or 6-ounce) can tuna, drained
1 Persian or Kirby cucumber, minced
1 small or 1/2 large green, yellow, or orange bell pepper, minced
1/2 small red onion, minced
2 large radishes, minced
2 generous tablespoons chopped oil-cured black and/or green olives
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tartine bread slices
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, thinly sliced
8 anchovy fillets (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Combine tuna, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, radishes, and olives in a medium bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil in a steady stream. Pour over tuna salad. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Arrange bread slices on a platter or individual plates. Divide tuna salad among bread slices. Divide tomatoes and eggs evenly among tartines, arranging decoratively. Crisscross 2 anchovy filets over each tartine if desired. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Garnish with basil and serve.
Creamy Leeks with Cremini and Chanterelle Mushrooms
Makes 6 tartines
While there are many varieties of chanterelles, the most popular is golden chanterelles. With their seductive color, meaty texture, and distinctive fruity flavor, they are a mushroom lover’s dream. These seasonal ’shrooms don’t come cheap, but a little of them goes a long way. Make sure to treat your delicious investment with care: clean the chanterelles well with a mushroom brush or damp paper towel; do not, under any circumstances, soak them in water. Here I have mixed the chanterelles with the more affordable and readily available cremini mushrooms. If you cannot find chanterelles, or you do not want to use them, just use cremini mushrooms exclusively. The delicate flavor of leeks complements the mushrooms beautifully. Splurge on a lovely Bourgogne Blanc if you can afford it, or a semi-serious Mâcon if you cannot. Either way, you will be happy.
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided
4 leeks, white and light-green parts only, cleaned well, halved, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white vermouth or dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 pound chanterelle mushrooms, halved if small or sliced if large
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves, divided
4 tartine bread slices
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add vermouth and cook until almost evaporated. Add cream and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer very gently until leeks are tender and cream is thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter with oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add both mushrooms and sauté until browned and juices have been released and reabsorbed, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms to leek mixture and mix well. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 tablespoon thyme leaves.
Grill, broil, or toast the bread. Arrange toasts on a platter or individual plates. Divide leek and mushroom mixture evenly among toasts. Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons thyme leaves. Serve immediately.
