Spring knocks on my door
I open the fridge and see
labneh and sourdough.
No toaster oven
guess electric coils will do
pray it doesn’t burn.
Perhaps olive oil
leftover bunch of limp mint
from last night’s cocktail
Edamame peas
though I wish I had favas
can’t ask for too much
Scant, as I find poems
but when there are four of them
you see the picture.
Therefore I tell you,
do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink;
or about your body,
what you will wear.
Is not life more than food,
and the body more than clothes?
Matthew 6:25
I’ve always loved the combination of deep green, grassy flavours with sweet, cool dairy. Like charred broccoli rabe on mascarpone, sauteed spinach on ricotta, and in this case, edamame marinated in fruity olive oil with parsley stems and mint. The labneh adds sweetness, and the sourdough gives crunch and substance. This is as simple as it gets, and feel free to substitute the edamame with thawed peas, fava beans, or if you’re feeling fancy, pois mange-tout. As for the labneh, goat cheese, greek yoghurt, fromage blanc, or hummus will all do nicely. Feel free to use any soft herbs you have on hand – lemon balm, basil, chives, tarragon. And any day-old bread. At this point, I hope I’ve gotten the point across that this is not a recipe. So go ahead, spend the next five minutes reading the ‘recipe’, and the five minutes after that to make lunch.
Green on White Tartines
- 1 slice sourdough, or whatever bread you have
- 3 tbsp labneh, or whatever soft unripened cheese you have
- 1/3 c thawed edamame beans, or whatever peas you have
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6-8 mint leaves, torn, or whatever soft herbs you have
- 2 tsp minced parsley stems, completely optional
- Toast the bread on both sides to your desired colour.
- Slather the top side of the toast generously with your choice of cheese.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and spoon over the toast.
Happy munching!
coco et cocoa 