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Very close up view of strawberry goat cheese tartine on white table

Strawberry Tartine

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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

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

Find it online: https://vintagekitchennotes.com/strawberry-goat-cheese-tartine/