Appealing Combo
Dress a chicken tartine with peaches and ripe cheese, and dinner is done
On a recent weeknight, I found myself hungry and without a plan. A quick sweep of the refrigerator and pantry revealed fresh peaches, a country-style bread loaf, a small wedge of blue cheese and leftover chicken.
I decided to make a tartine. I lightly toasted thick slices of bread, spread each with cheese and layered sliced chicken and peaches on top. Then, I broiled the stacks until the peaches softened and the edges of the bread crisped.
I partnered the tartines with a chilled glass of white wine and a green salad, and rather than making a supper I’d soon forget, I felt like I was treatingmyself. Bonus: It came together so quickly.
This combination was so appealing that I decided to poach boneless chicken breasts tomake it again. I have tried this same preparation, with sliced figs and goat cheese as well as peaches and brie, with great results.
Little tweaks along the way have made it better. To give the sweet fruit, creamy dairy and mild chicken oomph, I added white pepper to the softened cheese before spreading it on the toast. Then, I topped it all off with a drizzle of good-quality balsamic vinegar, a few grinds of coarse black pepper and a generous sprinkling of arugula.
In France, a tartine for breakfast may be just toast slathered with butter and fruity jam. For lunch or supper, however, it remains simple, but more substantial with a favorite cheese, fruit or vegetables — even a protein.
A few things to keep in mind when building your own tartine:
• Thinly slice the protein and fruit so it sits flat on the bread. I tried shredding the chicken and cutting it into bite-size pieces, but slicing made it prettier and less messy to eat.
• Choose a wide, rustic bread, especially if you plan to pick up your tartine with your hands to eat it, which I like to do.
• Brush your bread with extra-virgin olive and spread your cheese from edge to edge, so exposed bread does not dry out and burn when broiling.
• Keep tasting and adjusting your combinations, especially to use up leftovers. I am thinking of apple and roasted pork slices, with Camembert and fresh thyme from my patio plants.
• Don’t skip that last step of broiling. It softens the fruit, melts the cheese and perfectly crisps up the edges of the bread. (I have a toaster oven for broiling, so I don’t have to turn on the big oven.)