Working from home has been an adjustment to say the least. The lack of schedule leaves me always wondering what day it is and making bread all day long until I have endless loaves of sourdough that I have no idea what to do with. I get creative–you can put bread in soups like Ribollita or even toast them and put them in the food processor to make your own bread crumbs for casseroles. I have also been very into salad, and my sourdough, when cubed, makes the perfect crispy tart crouton. Or even better, you could use spring vegetables to make a beautiful Asparagus Tartine!
When you have enough sourdough to feed an army, every breakfast lunch and dinner could be an array of new and exciting tartines. Just toast a piece of bread and top it with a sauce, vegetable and cheese, and broil! That’s it! Tartines are always the solution and are even better topped with a runny poached egg and fresh ground pepper. Can you tell I can talk about tartines for days? This green and delicious Asparagus Tartine is spread with Kale Walnut Pesto and asparagus before being sprinkled with parmesan and toasted under the broiler. Here’s how you make it!
Start by bringing a small pot of water to a boil. While the water comes to temperature, you can make your pesto. Pulse a couple big handfuls of kale with the juice of half a lemon, a handful of basil, a half cup of walnuts, a third cup of parmesan grated, a garlic clove, and a couple pinches of salt. While the food processor runs, pour in the olive oil until the pesto is as liquid as you like it. I like a thicker pesto for this purpose!
Once your water is boiling, add your asparagus and cook just one minute. Drain into a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Toast your sourdough bread slices in a toaster or grill them in a pan. Turn the pan to medium high heat and add just a little olive oil. Toast each side until browned. Then spread each piece with pesto, top with your asparagus, and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.
Place a rack in your oven about 6 inches from the top of the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Once hot, add your tartines and toast, watching very carefully, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove and serve immediately.
If you like this Tartine, you might also like this recipe!
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- ½ bunch asparagus
- ½ bunch curly kale
- ¼ cup loosely packed basil leaves
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- ½ cup walnuts
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese plus another ½ cup grated
- In a large food processor, add the kale, basil, lemon, garlic, walnuts, ⅓ cup parmesan, and a couple pinches of salt. While the food processor runs, add the olive oil through the vent hole. Run the food processor until pureed. Taste for salt. Set aside
- Bring a small pot of water to boil. Trim off the woody ends of the asparagus. Boil for just one minute, drain into a colander, and rinse the asparagus with cold water to stop from cooking.
- Position an oven rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven. Preheat your oven's broiler.
- Toast your sourdough slices in a toaster or grill in a large pan with a bit of olive oil on each side until lightly browned. Spread each slice with kale pesto. Top each with a layer of asparagus. Sprinkle each with the remaining half cup of parmesan cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
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