Recipe: Three Summer Tartines (Avocado, Nectarine and Green Tomato)

Photo: Alison Ashton

Amelia Saltsman is the author of theSanta Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook. This week she shares three tartine recipes for summer. She tops toasted country bread with ingredients like smashed avocado, green tomatoes, and nectarines.

She says that “tartines aren’t exactly science,” so rather than specific measurements she’s given us a general idea of quantities to yield four toasts.

*You can find sumac and pomegranate molasses at Middle Eastern markets.

Avocado, Slivered Radishes and Their Tops, and Sumac Salt

3 or 4 radishes, including greens (or bit of arugula, watercress, or pepper cress)

1 large ripe avocado

Ground sumac

Finishing salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel

4 slices hearty whole grain or whole wheat country bread (such as Red Fife) (if loaf is large, 2 slices cut in half), toasted

Thinly slice radishes, stack them, and cut into slivers. Choose a small handful of the nicest, smallest radish greens and cut them crosswise into very thin strips. Smash avocado with a fork onto toasts and top with radishes and greens. Stir together a little salt with about a teaspoon or so of sumac and sprinkle generously over the toasts.

Melted Green Tomatoes, Sorrel, and Goat Cheese

2 green (unripe) tomatoes with a bit of blush, about ½ pound

Piece of onion, finely chopped

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Small handful sorrel leaves

Water, optional

Fresh goat cheese

Sel gris for finishing

4 slices blond whole grain or whole wheat country bread (such as Sonoran or Glenn Country), toasted

Use a vegetable peeler to skin tomatoes. Chop tomatoes. Cook onion in a little olive oil until tender, add tomatoes, salt, and pepper, cover pan, and cook until tomatoes have broken down into a thick sauce, 10 to 15 minutes (if tomatoes are very unripe and hard, you may need to add water and cook longer than 15 minutes). Finely chop sorrel. Stir most of it into the tomatoes and set aside to cool. Spread toasts with a good shmear of goat cheese, top with tomato mixture, a sprinkle of sel gris, and a little more sorrel.

Nectarines, Ricotta, Salted Pistachios or Pecans, and Pomegranate Molasses

1 to 2 ripe nectarines

Good ricotta cheese

Pomegranate molasses

Toasted, salted, pistachios or pecans, chopped

4 slices blond whole grain or whole wheat country bread (such as Sonoran or Glenn Country) or a slightly sweet dark or nut bread, toasted

Slice nectarines into thin wedges. Spread toasts with a good shmear of ricotta. Arrange nectarine slices over the cheese, drizzle with pomegranate molasses, and sprinkle with chopped nuts. (If toasting raw, unsalted nuts, finish the tartine with a little fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt.)

© 2015, Amelia Saltsman.