Tartine is the French word for toast — cute isn’t it? It’s a food we French folks have all the time because it’s one of the easiest French foods out there! Today’s sweet & savory version is loaded with roasted fall flavors, making it the perfect light meal or snack for the cooler months.
The bakery that started it all
Ironically, today’s tartine idea came from a pizza I ate as a high schooler. After all, France is the second biggest eater of pizza worldwide after the US, and pizza’s among the favorite foods of the French, next to dishes like the beloved couscous stew.
As it was, I was strolling through the old part of my hometown known as le vieux Lille. The area is a tight cluster of meandering paved streets with slender red brick buildings 3 or 4 stories high. Some of these ancient abodes even hide upper floor cafés, giving the whole neighborhood a very cozy, mysterious vibe. And with its specialty boutiques and vintage stores, it’s the place to be for both tourists and locals. (This article has nice photos if you want to take a peek.)
After so much walking around, I suddenly grew terribly hungry.
Thankfully, right in front of me across the polished paved stones was a bakery, illuminating the street corner. In the brightly-lit shop, I discovered a broad selection of treats: a medley of both local delicacies and traditional French classics. But when my eyes settled on a cute little square pizza, all the other options vanished.
It had all my favorite fall ingredients gathered together on a delicate creamy base that allowed the toppings to shine. There was fennel, with its signature anise profile; sweet, succulent pear at peak ripeness; a sprinkling of blue cheese to add character; and a few walnuts to provide textural contrast. The flavor was both clean and complex.
Local flavors that shine
As you might already know, this particular flavor combo is classic French. My endive salad for example is an iteration of it. Over the years, I continued to dream of this humble pizza, without ever replicating it. Go figure!
Then one day in fall, I happened to have all the parts on hand: a Bosc pear rapidly turning amber; a bulb of fennel, eyeing me with its green, droopy frills; a small hunk of blue cheese in the far back of the fridge; and a few walnuts in the freezer.
The only missing piece was pizza dough. Not a big deal. True to my French roots, I used a piece of bread as my base, slid the thing in the oven, and today’s scrumptious sweet & savory toast was born.
What makes this toast delicious?
In short: wholesome, seasonal ingredients that go well together. More precisely, the pear provides organic sweetness while the blue cheese keeps everything savory. The fennel and walnut stand somewhere in the middle, with their aromatic and nutty complexity.
In the French culinary tradition, there’s long been a special place for pome fruits. Think apple (pomme), pear (poire), medlar (nèfle), and quince (coing). Here, I like using Bosc pear since it’s not too sweet and holds its shape well when cooked. Bosc pears are truly ripe once their skin turns a burnished orange.
Fennel (fenouil) is another great fall item that adds a touch of sweetness but blends very well with savory food, including blue cheese. This cheese will round out the toast with its complexity and depth. Thank the mold for that! Source it from grass-fed animals if you want to enjoy its full potential.
As an ultimate topping, walnuts bring rich, oily notes and make everything else toothsome. They are at peak season in the fall, just like the pear and fennel.
Black walnuts would work nicely too! They grow in lots of places across North America and are much loved by squirrels. (Here’s a great article by Practical Self Reliance on how to gather them.)
Fresh or baked, it’s up to you!
If you want to enjoy the full vitality this tartine has to offer, then eating it as-is would certainly be the move — nothing needs to be cooked! Doing so would also make it an even quicker meal option.
But if you want to enjoy more toasty flavors, melted cheese, and caramelized edges, a trip in the oven is all it takes.
I opt for a compromise between the two, a healthy middle ground, or as one of my favorite idioms goes: cut the pear in half, coupe la poire en deux. Enjoy one of each!
Bon appétit!
>>Want more blue cheese recipes? Try this classic French endive salad!
>> Looking to turn this into a fuller meal? This French green lentil stew fits the bill.
Sweet & savory toast, an easy fall tartine – Tartine sucrée-salée parfaite pour l’automne
Ingredients
- 4 slices whole grain sourdough bread
- 2 tbsp "grass-fed" butter or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 fennel bulb
- 1 Bosc pear
- 2 tbsp “grass-fed” blue cheese – or more to taste
- 1/4 cup walnuts – or more to taste
Instructions
- To roast your toasts, preheat the oven to 375.
- Slice your bread.
- Quarter the pear, delicately cut away the core and seeds, and throw those in the compost. Remove the tough end of the fennel as well.
- Thinly slice the pear and fennel.
- Spread a little butter or drizzle oil on each toast. Arrange the pear and fennel evenly. Add some walnut pieces and crumble some blue cheese onto the toast.
- Place the toasts on a baking sheet. Bake them in the lower section of the oven for about 20 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so nothing burns. The cheese should be melted, and the pear and fennel should have begun to caramelize.
- Remove them from the oven. Let cool slightly and enjoy warm. Decorate with a few fennel fronds for a more vibrant look.