A tartine is an open-faced sandwich, built on a foundation of sliced French bread. Infinitely versatile and easy to prepare, tartines are the answer to every dinner crisis, allowing you to throw together a healthy, nutritious meal with all the insouciance of a French femme fatale.You can toast your tartines for about 10-15 minutes in a 350 oven – my preference. [First, spread the bread with oil or Veganaise.] Or simply enjoy them room temperature, a no-brainer dinner option for steamy summer nights when it's too hot to cook. And since tartines are sanctioned finger food, they are très kid-friendly.
Top your tartines with just about anything you have on hand; your imagination and pantry are the only limits. As a special, added visual bonus, if you slice your baguette on the diagonal and serve them side-by-side, tartines resemble exotic butterflies [See photo]. Here are 25 tartine ideas to get you started:
- Arugula pesto [Pictured, above left]. In a food processor, mix about 2 cups of arugula, some walnuts or pine nuts, and about 5 garlic cloves. Add enough extra-virgin olive oil until it reaches a spreadable consistency. This pesto is also wonderful tossed with pasta, smeared on grilled tofu or thinned with balsamic vinegar to use a salad dressing
- Spinach, onion, garlic and dried cherries [Pictured, above right], sautéed in olive oil and seasoned with a pinch of nutmeg
- Mushrooms and fresh herbs [Pictured, above bottom], sauteed in Earth Balance with garlic and a splash of Marsala or Sherry
- Tapenade, mixed with a bit of organic citrus zest
- Fava beans or edamame, mashed with roasted garlic
- Thinly sliced grilled eggplant, smeared with watered-down yellow miso
- Roasted red peppers and a healthy sprinkling of nutritional yeas
- Caramelized onions, toasted pine nuts and fresh rosemary with a splash of best-quality balsamic vinegar
- Your favorite vegan cheese and hot pepper flakes, with a drizzle of walnut oil
- Thinly sliced fennel, back olives and orange slices, served heated with a drizzle of fruity extra-virgin olive oil
- Leftover ratatouille
- Oil-soaked sun-dried tomatoes, vegan cream cheese and fresh basil, with salt and fresh ground pepper
- Mashed cannelloni beans and garlic with a dash of hot pepper oil
- Vegan slices, a "schmear" of Veganaise, capers and thinly sliced red onions
- A healthy drizzle of olive oil topped with tomatoes, oregano, and olives
- Cooked broccoli mashed into a paste with garlic, lemon and lemon zest
- Avocado slices, arugula and Veganaise
- Peas mashed with Earth Balance and tarragon
- Grilled radicchio, raisins and Earth Balance, with coarse sea salt
- Caponata and a healthy sprinkle of nutritional yeast
- Almond butter, dried cherries, and rosemary with a drizzle of agave nectar
- Grilled zucchini, dill and black olives
- Marinated seitan, dried apricots and apricot jam
- Vegan chocolate hazlenut spread, with or without organic raspberries [Tartines aren't just for dessert!]
- Bananas, agave nectar and cinnamon. Spread the bread with Earth Balance and toast first. This makes a great breakfast.
