This Tartine Recipe is Great Spring on a Plate

There is a certain kind of afternoon that I want to close and remember forever. The kind where no one is looking at their phones, the wine glasses keep getting refilled, and somehow two hours go by, and no one has left the table. That’s how I remember the day Camilla Marcus joined a group of friends and I for lunch in my backyard to celebrate the launch of her cookbook, My Kitchen Renovation.

We had been trying to do it for weeks, and when it finally came together on a warm spring day, the afternoon brought everything we could imagine. We put large plates of food on the table outside, served everything in a family style, and sat in that simple, unhurried way that only happens when the food is simple and the company is everything.

The menu tastes like spring. Cool pea gazpacho served in small bowls. Fennel salad. Rose Dark Chocolate Bark for Coffee Dessert. Natural wine and sparkling water. And these tartines, which was what everyone was talking about afterwards.

The Chef Behind the Recipe

If you’re not familiar with Camilla Marcus, she’s one of those chefs who makes everything feel simple and thoughtful. His cooking style is simple and intuitive, based on a deep appreciation of the seasons and the farmers who grow the food. He is also the founder of west~bourne, his direct-to-consumer brand that makes feel-good offerings inspired by California’s bounty. I’ve known Camilla for a few years and always enjoy the opportunity to cook together—and these tartins are a perfect representation of how she thinks about food.

The recipe is from her cookbook, My Kitchen Renovationand his definition of them is perfect: a chef’s snack. Equal parts creamy and robust with great seasonal ingredients. There are no rules, and no conflict at all.

What Makes This Tartine Recipe Great

When it comes to eating as simple as this, the beauty is in the restraint. The last thing we want to do is put together something where everything that is so beautiful finds its place. That means bread is essential (thick cut, from a good bakery, fried in avocado oil until golden and crisp). Tomatoes are the key (find the best heirloom you can find). And blue cheese—frozen and shaved thin enough to melt into squishy ribbons over warm bread—is the secret ingredient that takes this to the next level.

A roasted beet tartine—yogurt or crème fraîche spread thickly, topped with golden beets, finished with toasted pepitas—has the most surprising ingredients. Beet and crème fraîche is a combination I knew I loved, but something about the contrast of the toast made it feel completely new. It’s cool and creamy against all those wrinkles.

A few tips for success

Serve this as a starter, lunch, or, honestly, the kind of snack that becomes a complete meal because you can’t stop eating it. They are best when the tomatoes are at their peak, so keep this in mind as we head into the summer months.

We make these in a large cast iron pan and keep them coming in batches. (You won’t believe how much a simple touch of toast elevates these tartines.) And remember Camilla’s rule of thumb when it comes to crème fraîche. It keeps these tartines feeling perfectly comfortable.

If you’re building a spring lunch around this, pea gazpacho and a simple fennel salad rounds it out nicely. Add a bottle of something cold and pink, wipe away your afternoon, and stay as long as possible.

This recipe is from Camilla Marcus’s cookbook, My Reinvention Kitchen.

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