Open Faced

The French, they call them tartines, the Italians, bruschetta. And though you might not be familiar with these terms, you've been eating an Americanized version of these open-faced sandwiches since your mom slid that first crisp cheese toast onto your plate at age 5.

I don't recall loving open faced sandwiches as a kid (maybe I'm wrong, mom?). But I do love snacking on these European bites now. Those Europeans take the basic idea of an open-faced sandwich and dress it up with fancy spreads and elaborate toppings, or simply add a layer of creamy cheese and something salty, like prosciutto, and pronounce it perfect. Tartines, or bruschetta, make excellent meals for light appetites (there's only one piece of bread!) and are just showy enough that you'll feel good about serving a class of sandwich for supper. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I like to elevate my open-faced sandwiches with a spread like a freshly blitzed pesto or a thin layer of grainy mustard. But I won't leave it at that; I couldn't not tell you about my favorite open-faced sandwich spread. It goes by the name of crema.

I met crema on another blog (you won't be surprised when I tell you which one), and I've been lusting after it ever since. Just ask my husband, who rolls his eyes when I pull out the ingredients to make a new batch each week.  

Based on its name, you might think crema contains cups of cream. But actually, crema consists of just three main ingredients: a red onion, walnuts and olive oil. As separate entities, these pantry staples might add a hint of indulgence to a dish; when blended together, they deliver a degree of decadence that seems impossible for something so simple.

When I first made crema, I served it pooled under a bed of fresh-from-the-market asparagus, just as the recipe instructed. But when asparagus season waned and my crema cravings didn't, I started seeking other ways to use it. I quickly learned it loves to coat the noodles in a seasonally-driven vegetarian pasta and that it can stand in for tomato sauce on a margarita pizza. It has become my go-to dip for the baby carrots I store in my fridge (and not surprisingly, it looks just like hummus). And when it comes to sandwich spreads, I find it bests mayonnaise, mustard and pedestrian pesto every time.

So yes, let's get back to that sandwich (my apologies...crema sometimes distracts me like that). Like any good sandwich, open-faced or not, this one starts with a high quality bread like the rustic, country boule I pick up from Ken's Artisan Bakery every week. I sliver it oh-so-thinly, then crisp it's crumb in the oven since I like the spread to sit atop the bread, not soak it through. 

When it's slightly crunchy round the edges, I slather the bread with the crema and layer on whatever greens are waiting in my fridge - arugula, artichoke hearts, Swiss chard. Sometimes, I sneak in a whisper-thin slice of proscuitto in between the spread and the veggies and other times, I sprinkle the whole slab with feta cheese before I dig in.

The beauty of this sandwich is that it does not need a recipe; sometimes, it's nice to be free from the constraints of recipe rules. However, if you're ready to meet crema, you'll need the recipe below. It makes more than enough for one sandwich but I have no doubt you'll find a way to use the leftovers as well.


Crema Sauce
This sauce is incredibly easy to make and forever versatile. The only caveat I have is that nuts can be quite bitter to some tastes. If their bitter flavor doesn't suit you, try blanching the nuts in the salted water twice to further soften their bite.

Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups walnuts
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid, divided 

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the walnuts and blanch for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender in the middle. Drain the walnuts, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan, heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and generous pinch of salt and sweat for about 7 minutes, or until golden brown and tender. Remove from the heat. 

In a food processor, combine the cooked onion, walnuts and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Process until creamy. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. 

With the processor running, gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, processing until creamy. The crema should have the consistency of a smooth hummus. If it is too thick, add a little more of the reserved cooking water. 

Taste again for seasoning and adjust as needed. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week before using - though I doubt it will stick around for that long.

-Adapted from the A16 Food + Wine cookbook