Is My Blog Burning? Tartine Edition

Tapas Tartine

My kitchen has been all about Spain since I returned from my short jaunt late last month. The flavors of Spain are particularly impressive and easy to recreate. Subtle yet undeniably present, the Spanish approach to full-flavored food is fairly straightforward. And, that approach is easily replicated in these 3 tartines for this blog burning event.

In the true sense of Spanish Cuisine, I’ve prepared a tapas platter of:

Marinated Manchego Cheese and Roasted Pepper Tartine – slices of cheese drizzled with Spanish olive oil are a mainstay at tapas bars. Adding the subtle flavors of sweet onion and cumin, rounds out this traditional dish.

Creamy Goat Cheese with Marinated Carrots Tartine – the sweet pimentón, cumin and cinnamon are evidence of the Moorish influence in Spanish Cuisine. And,

Jamón Serrano with shredded Manchego and fruit Tartine – Serrano ham is salt cured and then matured for 6 months to 2 years in "sweating rooms." The somewhat sweet, slightly nutty and never excessively salty, is succulent. The combination of the lightly fried ham with the Manchego cheese and sweetness of the diced fruit is wonderful.

The tapas platter is completed with Ensalada Mixta, a mixture of fresh greens in a light lemon vinaigrette and topped with Spiced Marcona Almonds.

Like some others, I couldn’t resist the urge to actually bake my own bread, too. I had to, though. The flavor I wanted for my tartines just wasn’t out there. I wanted something rustic, but didn’t want to end up too far from a baguette or bâtard – although either would be suitable for these recipes.

Given the Spanish love for potatoes – which appear in about every cultural dish, and is standard fare at comida – I decided to make a Pugliese loaf – which includes mashed potatoes in its list of ingredients, and adapted a recipe from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

The Pugliese is a lean, rustic bread made of primarily fancy durum and bread flour. Baked in a round, this bread is much like the French pain rustique. To really capture the rustic flavor I was going for, I used a combination of Semolina and Spelt, along with the bread flour. The result was perfect. A sturdy, but still soft crust, and a moist earthy bite that stands up gorgeously to marinated flavors and fried Serrano ham in the tartines I’ve created.

The Ensalada Mixta is your standard salad fare, but what makes this a terrific backdrop for the tartine tapas is the Spiced Marcona Almonds and the bright lemon vinaigrette. Marcona Almonds and the recipe were both featured in the March 2004 Gourmet magazine.

The Marcona Almond is from Spain. I brought mine back from a mercado in Madrid, though, according to Gourmet, they are available in the United States. Their flat shape and roundness, easily distinguishes them, but it is their rich meaty flavor that makes them so appealing. Toasted with the sweet pimentón and cumin, or fried in olive oil and sprinkled with salt, they are addictive, and yes… the perfect cocktail snack – the very essence of tapa.

The recipes:

Marinated Manchego Cheese and Roasted Pepper Tartine (adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2003)

Rustic bread sliced ½ inch thick
¼ cup extra virgin Spanish olive oil
3 green onions chopped
1 shallot minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ inch slices Spanish Manchego cheese (sharp white cheddar can be substituted)
Roasted red pepper, sliced in thin strips

Whisk oil, green onions, shallot and cumin seeds in a small bowl to blend. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Arrange cheese slices on a baking dish or deep platter and place roasted pepper strips on top of each cheese slice. Pour dressing over; cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before using.

Top each bread slice with marinated cheese. Drizzle with dressing from marinating dish. Serve.

Creamy Goat Cheese with Marinated Carrots Tartine (adapted from Gourmet, August 2002)

For marinade:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
2 teaspoons sweet pimentón (substitute paprika if pimentón is not available)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup Spanish olive oil
4 medium sized carrots

For tartine:
Rustic bread slice about ½ inch thick
Creamy goat cheese, at room temperature

For garnish:
Fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

Prepare carrots:
Whisk together sugar, lemon juice, spices, salt and olive oil in a medium-size bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Set a pot of salted water (about 4 or 5 quarts) on stove top and bring to boil. In the meantime, peel carrots, and using a mandoline, slice the carrots on an angle, about 1/16-inch thick. Put the carrots in the boiling salted water and cook until crisp-tender, about 30 seconds after the water returns to a boil. Drain well and immediately toss with the marinade. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then marinate, covered and chilled, at least 4 hours.

To make tartines:
Spread the goat cheese on the bread slices and artfully arrange the marinated carrots in rows, slightly overlapping, on top. Sprinkle each tartine with fresh chopped parsley. Serve.

Jamón Serrano with shredded Manchego and fruit Tartine (adapted from Gourmet, January 2004)

¼ pound thinly sliced Jamón Serrano (Serrano ham) (substitute proscuitto if Serrano ham is not available)
1 ½ cups Spanish olive oil
Manchego Cheese, chilled and then shredded
Diced sweet fruit (pears, mango or apples; fresh figs would be divine, but sadly, not in season!)
Rustic Bread

Prepare the bread:
Slice bread about ½ inch thick and lightly brush with Spanish olive oil. Place under oven broiler until bread begins to crisp, being careful not to fully cook the bread through. Remove from oven and set aside.

Fry the Ham:
Cut ham into 2-inch strips. Heat olive oil in a medium-size skillet over moderate heat until hot, but not smoking, then fry ham (in batches, if necessary), turning occasionally, until just crisp and a shade darker, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Assemble the tartine:
Place the cooked strips of ham on to the prepared bread and sprinkle with the shredded cheese, and allow the cheese to begin to melt. If necessary place back into hot oven until the cheese begins to sweat. Top with bits of diced fruit. Serve.

Ensalada Mixta, with Spice Marcona Almonds (almond recipe from Gourmet, March 2004)

Prepare Almonds:
Ingredients:
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon sweet pimentón (substitute paprika if pimentón in unavailable)
2 cups blanched Marcona almonds

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together egg white, salt, cumin and pimentón in a bowl, then add almonds and toss to coat. Spread almonds evenly on baking sheet and roast until golden, about 20 minutes.

Transfer nuts on parchment paper to a cooling rack and cool completely, undisturbed (almonds will crisp as they cool). Loosen nuts from parchment, and transfer to a bowl. (Can be made ahead and kept up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature).

Prepare Salad:
Ingredients:
4 cups mixed lettuce greens
½ shallot sliced paper thin
Juice of ½ of lemon
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
About 4 tablespoons Spanish olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup Spiced Marcona Almonds (recipe above)

Prepare mixed greens by washing, de-stemming and tearing into bite size pieces. Thoroughly dry, and place in a large bowl.

Combine shallot, lemon juice and vinegar and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour about ½ of the vinaigrette over greens and toss to lightly coat. Add more vinaigrette and toss, if necessary. Sprinkle spiced almonds on top. Serve.

There you have it.  A delicious, easy tapas platter of tartines.  Easy to make – since most of it is make ahead – and, effortless to assemble.  Add the ensalada mixta, and perhaps even some olives, a glass of robust Rioja or a Sherry… and when shared with friends or family, you have created the very essence of what was so remarkable about Spain – people gathering, socializing and simply celebrating the goodness of life!