Summer is upon us, and here in the South, that means it is officially peach season. This super fast, extremely simple Peach Tartine is inspired by my many years working at Marché Artisan Foods in East Nashville. This 4-ingredient dish is a celebration of the gorgeous fruit, and is perfect for a decadent breakfast, weekend brunch or a light WFH lunch.
Watch out, avocado toast. There's a new sheriff in town! Fresh slices of my favorite Peach Truck peaches are nestled on a lofty bed of lightly sweetened ricotta and drizzled with wildflower honey for the best darn breakfast toast this side of the Mississippi.
Table of Contents
What is a Tartine?
Tartine is basically a fancy French word for "open faced sandwich." Rather than something you pick up (like, say, a slice of pizza), a tartine as I know it generally requires a fork and knife. Don't scoff here, folks. Like my Nana always said, the messier, the better.
Whether sweet or savory, large or small, these tasty snacks are often served as breakfast or lunch fare across the pond. And here in Nashville? Tartine almost became synonymous with the now-closed restaurant, Marché Artisan Foods.
At Marché, the tartines were always inspired by seasonal produce. Strawberries & mascarpone in the spring, pears & camembert or roasted grapes & goat cheese in the fall, and this sunshiny summertime beauty, the beloved Peach & Ricotta Tartine.
Why I Love This Recipe
I love and aspire to the elegance of simplicity (though you'd never know it looking at my crazy pantry). This peach tartine embodies the perfection of simplicity.
Good, crusty bread. Lightly sweetened ricotta cheese. Fresh, headily perfumed summer peaches. The lightest drizzle of local honey. And yet, the end result of these beautiful individual components is somehow more than the sum of its parts.
Whether you want to make a memorable appetizer for your brunch buddies or just need something to savor during a tough WFH day, this peach tartine is the answer. It's lightening fast to make - seriously, it takes 5 minutes - and completely soul satisfying.
It's sweet without being cloying. It's filling without being heavy. And even though it sounds fancy AF? It's actually easy and inexpensive to make. Seriously, folks. Do yourself a favor and whip up a peach tartine right quick. Your life will be better for it.
How to Make a Peach & Ricotta Tartine
If I'm being honest, the hardest part about making a good peach tartine is finding a good loaf of bread that is worthy of a perfectly ripe summer peach. If at all possible, I highly recommend getting some bakery fresh bread (or making some yourself).
If you're going the shopping route, Dozen Bakery (here in Nashville) is incredible and they absolutely deserve your support. NOTE: If you want the real Marché experience, Dozen is the way to go!
If you're not in town, Costco bakery is pretty awesome too. I love both their multigrain (shown here) and their Italian loaves. 2 for $6.99 isn't bad for fresh baked bread, either!
Other than that, this recipe is pretty dang straightforward. Take a slice of crusty bread and lightly toast it.
While the toast is toasting, mix the ricotta with honey until well combined. Slice the peach into manageable sized pieces.
When the toast is toasted to your liking, slather on the ricotta.
Pile the peaches on as high as your heart desires.
Finish it all with a drizzle of honey. That's it. That's the whole shebang. Now dig in with a fork and knife and relish every single perfect bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
First, I recommend double checking the store. While I'm deeply annoyed by it, most grocery stores that I visit have more than one cheese aisle. Make sure you didn't accidentally miss it. Here in Nashville, you can find it at any Kroger, Publix, TJ's or Aldi.
While ricotta isn't the specialty food it once was, I recognize that not everyone has access to a fully stocked grocery store. If this is the case for you, you have a few substitution options:
1. Make your own ricotta (don't worry, it's way easier than it sounds)
2. Use full-fat small curd cottage cheese (or blend large curd cottage cheese with an immersion blender until the consistency is right)
3. Use softened cream cheese thinned out with a bit of milk
As with most produce, the tastiest are likely also the most local to you. Local fruit can be picked closer to when it is ripe, rather than being picked prematurely to make it through shipping to get to your store shelf in tact. Aside from that, shopping local helps to fortify our food system and is often better for the environment.
To find a good, ripe peach, use your senses. First, look. The skin should be smooth (wrinkles are a sign of dehydration and weird texture). The color should be vivid with no signs of green.
Next, smell it. A ripe peach should smell, well... peachy. If you can't smell the peach, it's likely you won't taste much of it, either.
Now feel it. A ripe peach should yield a bit under pressure from a gentle squeeze. Go easy, though. You know that saying "bruise like a peach?" That's a saying for a reason.
If you're buying peaches a few days out from when you want to eat them, I suggest that you do like you would with avocados and buy them in varying states of ripeness.
When you get your peaches home, store them stem side down in a single layer at room temperature. If they are ripening too fast, you can eek a few extra days out of them by using your fridge.
Aside from making more peach tartines, you mean? There's a whole world of possibilities! My mind first jumps to this Ricotta "Everyday" Cake, but that's just the tip of the iceburg. I happen to agree with the editors over at Bon Appetit - ricotta is definitely the most under-appreciated spreadable cheese. Here are 65 recipes that use it - I'd bet you'll find at least one that sounds good.
Need more summer brunch-spiration?
Check out some of my other favorite recipes:
If you tried this easy Peach & Ricotta Tartine recipe, please be sure to rate and review it below!
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Peach and Ricotta Tartine
Ingredients
- 1 Slice Crusty Bread lightly toasted
- ¼ C Ricotta
- 2-4 tsp Honey divided, to taste.
- 1 Fresh Peach
Instructions
- Take a slice of crusty bread and lightly toast it. While the toast is toasting, mix the ricotta with honey until well combined. Slice the peach into manageable sized pieces.When the toast is toasted to your liking, slather on the ricotta. Pile the peaches on as high as your heart desires. Finish it all with a drizzle of honey. Now dig in with a fork and knife and relish every single perfect bite.
Notes
- Nutrition Information will vary depending on the size and type of bread you use. For reference, this is calculating for a 185 calorie piece of bread.
2. Use full-fat small curd cottage cheese (or blend large curd cottage cheese with an immersion blender until the consistency is right)
3. Use softened cream cheese thinned out with a bit of milk
Let's taco 'bout it.