For a special Valentine’s Day, here are the Symphony of Hearts Tartines. Today I bring you into the kitchen to prepare something simple yet impressive.
I decided to turn classic tartines into little jewels, playing with heart and flower shaped cutters and two very easy-to-make mousses.
To keep the palate entertained, I created two different fillings with a base of spreadable cheese:
Tuna Mousse: savory and creamy.
Salmon Mousse: delicate and velvety.
I filled hearts and flowers in a mixed way, so every bite is a little surprise!
I finished the edges with chopped pistachios, adding a toasted note and a beautiful bright green.
For garnish, I chose wild fennel fronds instead of the usual dill, for a unique and wild aromatic touch.
The final touch: salmon rosettes, slices of pickled cucumber, and pink peppercorns to complete the work.
They are elegant bites but very easy to make, perfect for surprising your loved ones with a gesture made from the heart (in every sense!).
To make the chopped pistachios stick well, spread a very thin layer of mousse also on the sides of the tart before dipping it into the pistachios.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Valentine's Day
- Energy 954.68 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 52.53 (g) of which sugars 5.64 (g)
- Proteins 40.53 (g)
- Fat 65.40 (g) of which saturated 3.60 (g)of which unsaturated 16.79 (g)
- Fibers 7.35 (g)
- Sodium 1,283.53 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Symphony of Hearts Tartines
- 4 slices long sandwich bread (the long ones without crust)
- 8.8 oz cream cheese (such as Philadelphia, divided into two bowls. 4.4 oz)
- 1 package tuna (about 2-3 oz, well drained.)
- 1.4 oz smoked salmon (scraps or a finely chopped slice)
- 1.8 oz salmon (for rosettes and decorative hearts)
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
- as needed pickles (in oil and fresh wild fennel fronds.)
- as needed red currants
- pink peppercorns
Tools
- Cookie Cutters
Steps
Symphony of Hearts Tartines
Divide the cream cheese into two separate bowls (about 4.4 oz each).
Tuna Filling: In the first bowl, add the drained tuna. Mix well until you get a homogeneous cream.
Salmon Filling: In the second bowl, add the finely chopped salmon. Mix until you get a pink, uniform cream.
Prepare the slices: Use the sandwich bread (long slices, no crust).
I used cutters to cut the bread into heart and flower shapes, filling them in a mixed way to create a dynamic and cheerful platter.
Once the creams are ready and the bread bases are cut out, it’s time for the fun part: bringing the tartines to life!
Take a heart (or flower) of bread and generously spread the chosen mousse (tuna or salmon).
Cover with a second piece of bread of the same shape, pressing lightly to seal the “sandwich”.Here’s the beauty! On the flower-shaped tartines, I placed a small smoked salmon heart that I cut with the smallest cutter. It’s a detail that echoes the theme and makes each bite a little tribute to love.
For a truly professional effect, spread a very thin layer of cream on the sides of the tartine. This trick will allow you to “dip” the edges into the chopped pistachios, which will stick perfectly, creating a colorful and crunchy frame.
Continue until all the ingredients are used, alternating shapes and flavors. For the final decorations, I used:
Wild fennel fronds for a Mediterranean scent.
Slices of pickled cucumber and pink peppercorns for a lively color touch.
Anyway, let your creativity flow and decorate them as you like!Each tartine is a different work of art.
Enjoy your meal.
Tips
You can also prepare the mousses a few hours in advance and keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. However, I recommend assembling the tartines not more than an hour before serving them so the bread remains soft and doesn’t dry out.
Serve them on a wooden board with a lit candle nearby; the atmosphere will immediately become special, and your guests will be amazed!
These quantities are designed for a romantic evening for two.
If you have some mousse left, it is perfect the next day on a simple toasted crostini.
Remember: the secret is not to rush when decorating… every fennel frond and every pistachio grain tells how much you care about the person sitting at the table with you
Curiosities
To get clean cuts with the heart and flower cutters, keep the bread in the refrigerator until the last moment. If it’s well chilled, it won’t fray, and the shapes will remain perfect.
Don’t throw away the bread edges left from cutting! Toast them in the oven with a pinch of salt and oregano: they will become delicious croutons for your soups or salads.
For a “jewel” effect, gently press the tartine onto the chopped nuts after putting the mousse on the edges. This way, the pistachio will stay firmly attached and won’t fall onto the plate.
Notes
If the wild fennel fronds are a bit wilted, soak them in ice water for 5 minutes: they will immediately stand upright and regain their bright green color!
For an even more refined touch, you can add a sprinkle of lime zest to the salmon mousse: the citrus freshness will enhance the flavor of the fish.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What do you recommend for a vegetarian version?
The vegetarian version is very simple to make because we keep the creamy base you’ve already used, but replace the fish with colorful and flavorful ingredients that pair perfectly with the pistachio and fennel.
Here’s how you can describe it on the blog:
If you want to prepare a Symphony of Hearts in a vegetarian version, you can play with vegetables and cheeses to achieve the same scenic effect. Here are my two proposals:
Green Pistachio and Cheese Mousse: Divide the cream cheese (4.4 oz) and add a generous teaspoon of pistachio or arugula pesto. You will get a delicate green cream that echoes the exterior chopped nuts.
Pink Beet Mousse: Mix the cheese (4.4 oz) with a tablespoon of pre-cooked beetroot pureed. You’ll get a beautiful bright pink, perfect for the hearts, with a sweet aftertaste that goes wonderfully with the savory.
Instead of salmon hearts, you can use:
Sun-dried tomatoes in oil (cut into heart shapes).
Toasted walnuts or pine nuts.
Thinly sliced radishes for crunchiness.
Extra Tip:
“The wild fennel and chopped pistachio are the real stars: they go well on everything! If you make a mixed platter (fish and veggie), use the same decorations to create a perfect visual harmony.
