Tartine Tuesday: Blood Orange and Green Olive Tapenade Tartines

I see you, spring... you're right there, around the corner. Now if you would just come out and play...

I can't remember when I last saw the sun. Thankfully, yesterday changed all that. It was the most beautiful day I'd seen for some months now, and it came just in time. I was starting to go a little nuts... as Quentin will attest... with cabin fever ever so annoyingly turning my brain into mush. Without a cloud in the sky, and a cheerful 50-something degrees (Fahrenheit), I giddily jumped around the apartment pulling on my jeans as fast as I could and shuffling through the top shelf of my closet to try and find my long lost sunglasses. 

I hopped on the Metro and made my way to Le Jardin des Tuileries. It's usually crowded with tourists, especially on a clear and sunny day, but if you know where to look, you can find a perfectly calm, sunny spot to call your own.

Flashbacks to Landis Green in the summer time with coleslaw dogs and splashing around in Legacy Fountain came rushing back as I soaked up the sun.

It felt so good. I sat there all afternoon, doing absolutely nothing... and it was completely worth it. It's funny how much happier you feel after a day of simply sitting in the sun. Once the sun started to dip behind the Parisian skyline, I did a little shopping (but of course) and made my way back home.

Continuing to doctor myself out of this winter funk, I concocted an ever so bright and flavorful tartine that seriously tastes like summer. Blood oranges, a smaller, sweeter variety of the orange are currently in season, and pairing their sunniness with briny green olive tapenade was just the kick I needed to brighten up my Tuesday.

 

Blood Orange and Green Olive Tapenade Tartines

4 blood oranges

1 cup pitted green olives

1 tablespoon drained capers

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

6-8 large crackers, such as Wasa Whole Grain Crispbreads

*I did this the hard way, and hand-made the tapenade. To make this a little quicker, you can put the tapenade ingredients into a food processor and blend until you reach the desired consistency.

Cut blood oranges cross-wise in about 1/4 inch slices, and then with a paring knife, trim the peel away from the flesh. You can also peel the oranges first and then cut them crosswise, but I feel the first way gives you more stability and less of a chance to waste the delicious fruit.

Chop together the green olives, garlic, capers, and parsley until very finely minced. Place into a bowl and add lemon juice and olive oil. Stir to combine.

Spread tapenade onto each cracker and top with slices of blood orange. Serves 3-4.

Tartine Tuesday: Cream Cheese, Green Olive, and Cracked Pepper Tartines

I have a (fairly) new obsession in my life...

Olives.

It all started with my best friend, Dannielle's arroz con pollo, which she made for me one night while hanging out at her place. Sure, I've had arroz con pollo before; chicken, rice, garlic, saffron... I knew the basic flavors, but never had I had it with green olives. I caught myself picking and eating the olives right out of the pot. I swear to you, I never liked olives before that very moment. I always found them too salty, too briney. But there, they were the ingredient that made the dish truly sing. Literally, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it (and D, you know it's true!). 

That one night, that one dish... it opened up a whole new section of my palette that I didn't even know existed. From that moment on I was putting olives on and in everything... deviled eggs, lentil salads, gazpacho... and not just green olives, I love them all. I've come to really love the niçoise olives here in France... something Quentin thought might be "too much olive" for me. I eat them by the handful. 

So for this Tartine Tuesday, I'll give you a painfully simple, easy, snack that always quenches my thirst for olives.

Cream Cheese, Green Olive, and Cracked Pepper Tartines

8 slices of baguette, toasted

cream cheese

green olives, pitted and sliced

freshly cracked black pepper (black pepper is key in this recipe, so make sure you use freshly cracked black pepper)

Spread cream cheese over toasted baguette slices. Crack black pepper over top of the cream cheese. Top with sliced green olives. Serves 2(or one super olive-lover like me).

Tartine Tuesday: Brie, Crispy Ham, and Green Olive Tartines

I've never been too crazy about lunch meat style ham. It's usually in some kind of rectangular shape(I've never seen a rectangular pig) and packaged in a bag with water(why?!?). Now, I'm not trying to be snooty or say I'm too good for lunch meat... I can't really afford to be picky these days. I have found a way though, to give a little umph to the blah that is lunch meat.
 

Meet my brie, crispy ham, and green olive tartines.

Brie, Crispy Ham, and Green Olive Tartines

6 slices of bread or baguette, toasted
6 slices of brie(cream cheese works really well as a substitute)
2 slices of lunch meat style ham, cut into small strips
green olives, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a sauté or frying pan on medium to medium-high heat. Add the strips of ham and fry until crispy(as you would with bacon or lardons). Top each slice of toast with a piece of brie, crispy ham, and green olives. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 2.