Tartines are one of the must-haves for buffets and aperitifs. They can be filled and decorated as you like, depending on needs and occasions. It is possible to make tartines of every kind and all equally delicious: from the easiest and quickest to the more laborious; from vegetarian ones to those with meat and fish. The rolled filled tartines make an attractive display on the table for big events, holiday celebrations or as a casual starter among friends. In this recipe I offer two different fillings, one vegetarian and the other with cooked ham, both prepared in very little time.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 48
- Cooking methods: No-cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring, Christmas
Ingredients
- 7 oz long sandwich bread (also available gluten-free)
- 14 oz fresh spreadable cheese (also available lactose-free)
- 5 oz cooked ham
- 2 oz sun-dried tomatoes
- 20 green olives
- to taste oregano
- 1 pinch ground pepper
Tools
- 1 Rolling pin
- 2 Bowls
- Plastic wrap
Steps
Prepare the olive filling
Put 7 oz of spreadable cheese in a small bowl. Pit the olives, chop them coarsely and add them to the cheese, along with a pinch of pepper (optional). Mix everything very well and set aside.
Prepare the sun-dried tomato filling
Chop the sun-dried tomatoes very finely before adding them to the remaining 7 oz of spreadable cheese in another small bowl. Flavor with a pinch of dried or fresh oregano and mix thoroughly.
Assemble the tartines
Place each “slice” of sandwich bread on a cutting board and flatten them with a rolling pin.
Spread the olive cream on two of the bread slices, add the cooked ham (omit if you prefer), spread a little more olive cream over the ham and roll from the short side until you form a cylinder.
Wrap the bread cylinder tightly in plastic wrap; seal it like a “candy” and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. This step is important to be able to cut the tartines cleanly without waste.
On the other two bread slices spread the sun-dried tomato cream, roll them up, wrap them in plastic wrap and also place them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take the cylinders from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, slice them into pieces about 3/8 inch thick and place them on a serving plate; you can serve them immediately, or cover the plate(s) with plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator until serving time, especially when it’s very warm.
Extra tip. Before slicing the filled bread cylinders, make light cuts with a very sharp knife about 3/8 inch (1 cm) apart.
To make chopping the sun-dried tomatoes easier and quicker, place them in a small pot with water and bring to a boil. Let them boil for 5 minutes; this will remove excess salt and make them much softer.
