The Flavors of Provence? There’s an Appetizer For That
My kitchen is fragrant with aromas linked to the cuisines of southern France, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
While North Texas teachers and students are preparing to return to the classroom, I’m preparing to teach culinary classes in September and October to passengers on three back-to-back Mediterranean cruises as a celebrity chef onboard Atlas Ocean Voyages.
Our first voyage begins in Nice, France, and continues to Saint-Raphael, Toulon, and Marseilles before cruising to Spain. The flavors and dishes typical of Provence revolve around rich sources of seafood and an abundance of olives, tomatoes, truffles, figs, cheese, and wine.
The region is famous for nicoise olives and Chateauneuf de Pape. On my previous trip to Provence, I took an excursion to a chef-owned olive farm. Lunch was served al fresco, after which we were invited to walk among the olive trees. Naïve, I plucked a ripe black olive from a tree and popped it into my mouth only to discover it was incredibly bitter. I quickly learned that olives take on their final flavor only after harvest and processing.
Our excursion also included a stop at a busy outdoor market where booths displayed fish, meats, cheese, bread, pastries, grapes, olives, stone fruit, fresh and dried tomatoes, and lavender. Wanting to capture the fresh flavors of Provence for my upcoming voyage using tomatoes currently available in North Texas’ farmers markets, I created Tomato Tartine Provencal.
Tartine is the French word for sliced bread spread with butter, but a dish so basic cries out for embellishments. In my variation, this easy, make-ahead appetizer starts with slices of artisan country bread brushed with olive oil and toasted under the broiler until golden brown. The toasts are garnished with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a slice of ripe tomato seasoned with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, herbes de Provence, and a bit more cheese. The tartines are baked just until the tomatoes soften, then are drizzled with olive oil and receive a final garnish of chopped fresh basil before serving.
It’s easy in our pizza culture to overdo the cheese, so I urge restraint when making the tartines. The Parmigiano-Reggiano is only one of many delicate layers of flavor, so each may be savored.
As an app or a light lunch, Tomato Tartine Provencal exemplifies the cuisine of Provence —fresh, local ingredients combined by those passionate about food to allow the flavors to shine.
Christy Rost is a cookbook author, host of Celebrating Home cooking videos, and longtime Park Cities and Preston Hollow resident. Her ‘At Home with Christy Rost’ cooking series for Eat This TV Network airs on AmazonFire, AppleTV+, Roku, Samsung TV, and YouTube. Please visit christyrost.com for details and recipes.
