26 May 3 Ways to Elevate Your Toast This Spring
The unfolding of the warmer seasons is the ideal time to offer your customers and guests imaginative, innovative bites, as they’re likely to be craving fresh, seasonal flavors. As peak-season produce becomes available, you’re likely looking for opportunities to showcase the bounty of these products on your menu.
One of the easiest, most appealing ways to do this is through composed toasts, or tartines. Avocado toast kicked off a trend that is still going strong, and these visually appealing, shareable, healthy options remain a popular choice with diners.
Toasts can be dressed up or down, depending on the style of your service, and their colorful, painterly presentation make them Instagram-worthy. Plus, seasonal fruits and vegetables need very little to make them shine: Thick slices of good bread and a few thoughtful components does the trick. And, because we know that managing food costs is a priority, it’s worth noting that toasts are also a smart way to further monetize products that you already use on your menu, like Tribeca Oven Artisan Bread.
Here are three incredible recipes crafted by Brian Mannett, Culinary Development Manager at C.H. Guenther & Son, that will bring seasonal flavor and flair to your springtime menu:
Ripe, juicy heirloom tomatoes are one of the best treasures from the summer produce lineup. However, they are a bit fragile and easily dented or split. Transforming less-than-perfect heirloom tomatoes into gazpacho and a topping for crostini preserves their flavors while allowing the multi-colored beauty to shine. Roasting some of the heirlooms for the dish amplifies their natural sweetness, while mixing some fresh tomatoes back into the crostini topping re-incorporates their zesty acidity. This range of tomato-forward flavors is complemented by the aromatic, allium profile of Tribeca Oven Cafe Classic Garlic Loaf.
These elegant toast bites, also a celebration tomato season, are the ultimate happy hour special or wine-friendly small plate. Cherry tomatoes are cooked down with herbs and onions until they achieve a luxurious jammy texture, then cooked down a second time with date or fig jam, which adds a layer of complex savory-sweetness. Then, bite-sized slices of Tribeca Oven Sourdough Baguette are toasted up, spread with the jam, and topped with salty, tangy ricotta salata and umami-rich caramelized onions.
Unique and sophisticated, this tartine draws inspiration from Middle Eastern cuisine, starting with a thick layer of housemade lemon-garlic labneh on sliced Tribeca Oven European Loaf, which has the perfect oblong shape to hold a generous amount of toppings. The second layer is rounds of tender roasted eggplant, spiced with za’atar, and then shingled with a layer of thin-sliced cucumbers and radishes for a satisfying crunch. The tartine is finished with a drizzle of olive oil, a touch of fresh mint and a sprinkle of salt for an absolutely stunning dish.
To explore Tribeca Oven’s range of products visit our website and sign up for our artisan bread community for operators, The Crumb Collective, which is full of industry-focused pro tips and more menu inspiration.
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