Free Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan Page A

tiny bit of oil and strew with nuts.
     
    MAKES 1 SERVING
     
    SERVING
At the Chai de l'Abbaye, the tartine is served just as is, although you can order the snack portion, which is a half slice of bread and a small handful of green salad. Whichever you decide on, a glass of red wine is a good idea.
     
    STORING
This is a make-and-munch treat.
----
    tartines
    Although the word sounds as if it should describe teensy tarts, what
tartines
really signals is a huge range of open-faced sandwiches, the French equivalent of Italian bruschettà. The verb
tartiner
means to spread, and a tartine is a slice of bread spread (although in many cases it's more rightly topped) with something or several somethings.
    Tartines can be light or substantial, simple or elaborate; they can even be sweet (see [>] ). Tartines are concept more than recipe, a kind of crafts project that encourages you to use your imagination—and your leftovers. Because, unlike American sandwiches (open-faced or closed), tartines are slender, carrying just a thin layer or two of ingredients, you can use up that lone slice of ham, the one tomato left in the basket, the few spoonfuls of soft cheese, or the odd olives to construct a good-looking and very tasty tartine.
    You can build your sandwich on any kind of bread. In France, most tartines are constructed on thinnish slices of country bread that's been grilled more often than toasted, and usually on just one side. (The tartine bread Parisians love is pain Poilàne; see [>] .) But you can use a piece of baguette—sliced into rounds or cut lengthwise—or, if you're using delicate ingredients, you can base the tartine on a slice of brioche (see Bonne Idée, [>] ), challah, or white or whole wheat bread.
----

Two Tartines from La Croix Rouge
    L A CROIX ROUGE IS ONE OF the busiest cafés in our neighborhood. It's also one of the best places to get an idea of what's in fashion, since it's around the corner from designer boutiques like Sonia Rykiel, Prada, and Yves Saint Laurent, and everyone who works in the shops crams in at lunch time—or waits outside in the hopes of cramming in. And
cramming
is really the operative word: there isn't a millimeter of space between tables! But the staff is friendly, the location unbeatable, and the best-selling Saint-Germain roast beef and Norvégienne smoked salmon tartines as stylish and thin as the café's clientele.
Tartine Norvégienne
    W HENEVER YOU SEE THE WORD NORVÉGIENNE, meaning Norwegian, in France, you can be sure smoked salmon is in the picture.
1
very large slice country bread, about ⅓ inch thick, or 2 smaller slices heavy tight-grained bread (rye works)
Butter
Enough paper-thin slices smoked salmon to cover the bread in a single layer
Capers
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges
    Lightly grill one side of the bread or toast it on one side in a toaster oven. As soon as it's toasted, spread that side with butter. Cover the bread with the salmon and, using a long heavy knife, cut the bread crosswise into strips about 1 inch wide. Scatter the capers over the salmon, sprinkle with pepper, and put a couple of lemon wedges on the side of the plate.
     
    MAKES 1 SERVING
     
    SERVING
White wine's the drink of choice here.
Tartine Saint-Germain
1
very large slice country bread, about ⅓ inch thick, or 2 smaller slices heavy tight-grained bread (rye works)
Mayonnaise
Cornichons or gherkin
2
paper-thin slices rarest-possible roast beef
Salt and freshly ground pepper
    Lightly grill one side of the bread or toast it on one side in a toaster oven. As soon as it's toasted, slather that side with mayonnaise. Thinly slice a cornichon or two (or part of a gherkin) and scatter over the bread, then cover the whole surface of the bread with the beef. Season with salt and pepper and, using along heavy knife, cut the bread crosswise into strips about 1 inch wide.
     
    MAKES 1 SERVING
     
    SERVING
At La Croix Rouge, this sandwich is served with a knife and fork, but the best way to eat it is