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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers & Dips

    Published: Aug 16, 2013 · Modified: Aug 19, 2021 by Paula Montenegro · Income from ads and affiliate links 32 Comments

    Strawberry Tartine

    Jump to Recipe

    Tartine is the French word for stuff on toast, as I like to call it. A slice of lightly toasted bread topped with whatever suits your fancy. Really. The combinations are endless. This has a soft cheese (ricotta or goat cheese), sweet seasonal fresh strawberries and a drizzle of thick balsamic vinegar, the good kind. It's fresh, easy, very satisfying and great for warm weather.

    Close up of strawberry tartines on white surface

    I had big plans for today’s post, as big as a three course meal ending in a dazzling dessert with berries and mascarpone. By the time I finished with the appetizer, this strawberry tartine, I had no more energy for another round of cooking and photographing. It takes time you guys, and planning and je ne sai quoi, don’t you agree? I need to feel it before it can translate into something blog worthy.

    At least I managed to make stuff on toast, similar to a bruschetta recipe, and we all know how good that is.

    White table with cheese, knife, bread slices, fresh strawberries
    Table of Contents Hide
    Ingredients
    Bread slices
    Fresh strawberries
    Ricotta or Goat cheese
    Balsamic vinegar
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    Strawberry Tartine

    Ingredients

    This recipe is more a list of ingredients than not. They type you mix and match to your liking, changing this or that depending on what you have on hand.

    But, well, being a strawberry goat cheese tartine, let's get into the ingredients needed.

    Strawberries, bread slices, vinegar bottle, cheese, knife on white table, text overlay

    Bread slices

    Make sure you use a soft but rustic bread, the type you buy at a good bakery with a good crust and great flavor. I use the Semolina bread recipe, one of the most popular (by far) in this blog. And sometimes the No-knead French Bread recipe.

    I don't recommend packaged supermarket bread that is too soft, the sandwich bread used for pb jelly sandwiches for example. You need a sturdier base.

    Fresh strawberries

    This is a recipe to make when fresh, juicy, seasonal strawberries appear.

    Using frozen ones won't really work. They have too much water and lack flavor after thawed. You can lightly roast them before adding them to the tartine, and that can make the flavor better, especially if you sprinkle some brown sugar on top before baking.

    It's almost winter here, so I’m very baffled by the fresh strawberries in the market the past couple of weeks. They are good tasting. Very good tasting. And all red, which is usually summer strawberry territory. I distrust strawberries that are too big and too red, they usually taste like unsweetened strawberry tea, a mix of acid and bitter.

    Well, who knew I would be popping strawberries like candy in the middle of winter?

    Cut fresh strawberries on white surface

    Ricotta or Goat cheese

    • Chevre, that fabulous soft cheese, is the best goat cheese for this tartine. It has character but is not overpowering and lets other ingredients shine. I find it very hard to find sometimes, so sometimes end up using goat's feta cheese. Not the same but still good.
    • Ricotta: it's a creamy but grainy cheese from Italy, slightly sweet, that pairs well with so many other ingredients. You can use it as it comes or process it to make whipped ricotta, smoother and easier to spread. Drain it if it's too watery.

    I'm a big fan of ricotta since forever, and you can find several other recipes here that call for it, like the Pizza Rustica (a savory pie) or the sweet Ricotta Pie, one of my favorite desserts ever.

    The first goat cheese I used was of the pungent kind, with a bitter aftertaste. I do like it a lot, especially in a quiche I make with caramelized onions, but for this tartine, it was too much.

    So round number two included a milder cheese and less of it. I couldn’t find chevre, which is the ultimate soft goat cheese in my opinion, so I used chevrotin. I think feta would’ve been good too.

    Slices of bread with cheese and strawberries on white table

    Balsamic vinegar

    What about the balsamic vinegar? It adds a good touch, and though it's not mandatory, but I suggest you don't miss it.

    The original balsamic vinegar is heated and reduced to a syrup, and it is a revelation. It concentrates and each drop is magic, adding so much flavor and uniqueness to this tartine. It’s just so darn amazing. The sweet acrid waft as it cooks is similar to the way my kitchen smells when I make my favorite chutney recipe.

    Slicce of bread with cheese, stack of bread slices, cut fresh strawberries, all on white surface

    This is a great appetizer and very simple to put together.


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    Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
    You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
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    Very close up view of strawberry goat cheese tartine on white table

    Strawberry Tartine

    Print Recipe
    Save Recipe Recipe Saved

    Tartine is the French word for stuff on toast, as I like to call it. A slice of lightly toasted bread topped with whatever suits your fancy. Really. The combinations are endless. This has a soft cheese (ricotta or goat cheese), sweet seasonal fresh strawberries and a drizzle of thick balsamic vinegar, the good kind. It's fresh, easy, very satisfying and great for warm weather.

    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 4 tartines

    Ingredients

    • 4 bread slices
    • Olive oil
    • 4 tablespoons of ricotta or soft goat cheese
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 12 fresh strawberries, washed, dried, hulled, and sliced
    • 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (regular balsamic vinegar or the concentrated balsamic vinegar)

    Instructions

    1. If you want to use whipped ricotta (as opposed to using it as it comes, more grainy), process it until smooth. 

    To make the syrup:

    1. Put the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and let reduce over low heat. You can double the amount and keep it to use for salads or other dishes. It keeps almost indefinitely.
    2. Check constantly until it's syrupy and thick. It might take 5 minutes or 15, depending on how much water content the balsamic vinegar has. 
    3. Remove from heat, let cool completely, and keep in a glass jar. 

    To assemble:

    1. Drizzle lightly each bread slice with olive oil and toast in a medium oven (325°F/170°C) until it begins to color. 
    2. Spread the soft cheese on each bread slice, dividing equally.
    3. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. 
    4. Top with fresh strawberry slices.
    5. Drizzle with half a teaspoon or so of balsamic syrup.
    6. Eat immediately.

    Notes

    Bread: 
    Make sure you use a soft but rustic bread, the type you buy at a good bakery with a good crust and great flavor. I use the Semolina bread recipe, one of the most popular (by far) in this blog. And sometimes the No-knead French Bread recipe. I don't recommend packaged supermarket bread that is too soft, like sandwich bread. You need a sturdier base.

    Cheese:
    Chevre, that fabulous soft cheese, is the best goat cheese for this tartine. It has character but is not overpowering and lets other ingredients shine. I find it very hard to find sometimes, so sometimes end up using goat's feta cheese. Not the same but still good.
    Substitution: this strawberry tartine also works using a good brie cheese or thick ricotta.

    Strawberries: using fresh ones is the best and I recommend you make this tartine during strawberry season. That said, you can also roast them first. This is a good idea if the berries are lacking in flavor or you only have frozen and you want to make this recipe anyway. Bake in a 350°F/180°C oven for 15-20 minutes, until they start to shrivel. You can add a teaspoon or two of brown sugar before roasting them for a sweeter flavor.

    • Author: Paula Montenegro
    • Prep Time: 15
    • Category: Appetizers
    • Method: Layering
    • Cuisine: International

    Keywords: strawberry tartine

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @vintagekitchenblog on Instagram and hashtag it #vintagekitchenblog

    Inspired from the cookbook Around my French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

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    About Paula Montenegro

    I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe developer, sharing the best ones here with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

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    1. Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says

      August 19, 2013 at 3:43 pm

      You're adorable Paula. I love your equation above:

      Tartine (french) = bruschetta (italian) = tostas (spanish) = stuff on toast (for me!) jaja!

      Your stuff on toast looks so good. I think it would be great with a grind of black pepper too.

      Reply
    2. laurasmess says

      August 19, 2013 at 2:55 pm

      I am in love with strawberries and syrupy aged balsamic. Such a beautiful winning combination... I've even eaten them over good vanilla ice cream with a touch of black pepper! This tartine sounds gorgeous Paula. Beautiful photos, beautiful flavours. Lovely xx

      Reply
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