Tartines (slices of bread in French) can be turned into a sweet or savory meal. I, for example, like sardines sur canapes.

They are perfect solution for a quick bite.

Alain Ducasse in his new book Nature (Rizzoli, March 2012) offers a few tartines. I chose spring recipe. 

Spring Tartines

Cooking 4 minutes   Preparation 15 minutes    

Makes 4 tartines

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and get a bowl ready with water and 

ice cubes.

Cut the tips of 16 small green asparagus spears into 2- to 21/2-inch lengths, rinse, and immerse in the boiling water along with a good handful of peas.

Drain and immediately plunge them into the ice water to keep their color. Leave for 2 minutes, then drain with a slotted spoon and lay on a dry dish towel.

Peel and wash about 10 radishes and slice into thin rounds (about 1/8 inch) with a mandoline.

Rinse a quarter of a fennel bulb and slice into thin slivers of the same size.

Wash and dry about 20 cherry tomatoes and halve them.

Remove the stalks, wash, and dry a handful of arugula.

Toast 4 slices of whole-wheat or multigrain bread on one side only.

Spread approximately 5 ounces of cream cheese, preferably Saint-Moret, over the slices of bread.

Line the halved cherry tomatoes along the center of each slice.

Then layer the slivers of fennel, radish slices, and peas on top.

Slice the asparagus tips lengthwise and scatter them over.

Then shave 11/2 ounces of Parmesan with a vegetable peeler and add these.

Finish with the arugula leaves.

Add a generous twist of freshly ground black pepper. Keep cool (not for too long!) until it’s time to eat.

(* Recipe from 'Nature, Simple, Healthy and Good' by Alain Ducasse with Paule Neyrat-Rizzoli New York, March 2012- photography by Francoise Nicol, reproduced with permission of publisher, all rights reserved)