Warm French Bread and Stilton Tartine

° Serves 4

I love Stilton cheese and often use it in this sandwich, although I have also made it with Gorgonzola, another favorite. I use a baguette here, but the sandwiches can also be made on large slices of country bread. A great luncheon dish, the sandwiches can be cooked quickly, a few at a time in a toaster oven or all together in a conventional oven.

Serve these with cold white wine.

• 1 French-style baguette (8 to 10 ounces), split lengthwise in half and then cut crosswise in half to make 4 pieces total
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion (about 4 ounces), peeled and sliced thin (about 1 cup)
• 24 oil-cured olives, pitted (see Note)
• About 4 plum tomatoes (8 ounces total), sliced thin
• ⅓ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces Stilton cheese, cut into 4 equal slices

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick aluminum foil. Place the pieces of bread cut side up on the prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over each piece of bread, then cover with the onion, olives, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and cheese, in that order.

Bake the sandwiches for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the bread is hot and crusty. Serve immediately.

Note: To pit olives, press gently on them with your thumb until they open up and the pits pop out.