We actually observe Tartine Tuesdays on Wednesdays now, but some day they’ll move back to Tuesdays and we like the alliteration. I (Amelia) love tartines. I appreciate the idea of sandwiches, but I usually find that the ratio of filling to bread is off for me. The bread overwhelms the filling, and the filling is my favorite part. With one swift decapitation, tartines solve the problem.

Most nights of the week someone’s got dinner covered. On Mondays, it’s mom, who makes enough for two families and gives half to our friends the Porters. On Tuesdays, the Porters make us dinner (it’s called our dinner exchange and it works nicely). On Friday dad makes dinner; Saturday is date night for the parents; and Sunday is when I get to cook. But there are days left without an assigned cook, and days where we’re

1. tired of leftovers, or

2. out of leftovers

So, on Wednesdays, we make tartines.

Here are our simple recommendations for fall:

HAM TARTINE

• Good bread

• Good butter

• Thin-sliced ham (we like Boar’s Head Tavern Ham)

• Deli Mustard, optional (Maille is our favorite brand)

• Butter lettuce

  The flavors of this sandwich are subtle; if you use mustard, apply it with a light hand on top of the ham and before topping with a nice piece of lettuce.
  
  
  

ROASTED BEET TARTINE

• Good bread, toasted

• Roasted beet, thinly sliced or diced, according to your preference (we usually like diced)*

• Olive oil and red wine vinegar (to sprinkle on top) OR herbed cream cheese (to spread on bread underneath)

• Salt, Pepper
  
  *Trader Joe’s sells pre-cooked beets. We wrap ours in tinfoil, then roast at 400 degrees. If the beets are small, we wrap three or so together and check at 50 minutes. If they’re medium, we wrap them individually and check at 70 minutes. If they’re very large, they might need to roast for 90 minutes. You know the beets are done when a sharp knife easily pierces through to the center (unwrap them before performing the knife test). Out of the oven, let them cool until you can handle them without burning yourself. The peels should slip off easily, unless they’re undercooked or unless they cooled completely. We like to peel them under running water.

APPLE CHEDDAR TARTINE

• Good bread

• Cheddar Cheese, sliced

• Mustard (optional)

• Delicious apple (right now the glorious Fuji is in season for us)

  Put cheese on top of bread and toast it on a tray in the toaster oven or on a cookie sheet under the broiler. When the cheese has melted, and little bubbles start to appear around the edges, remove it from the oven. Dab with a little mustard, then top with thin slices of apple.