Open-Faced Toasts with Grilled Apricots and Whipped Goat Cheese

Warm Fruit, Fresh Cheese

A tartine is an open-faced sandwich, a simple format that leaves room for contrast between the bread, toppings and garnish. Here, sturdy sourdough bread forms the base: the crust stays crisp, while the crumb has enough structure to catch the cheese and the fruit juices. Cut generous slices rather than thin ones. Thin bread hardens quickly on the grill and can feel limp under the toppings.

Apricots are widely available in the Netherlands mainly in late spring and summer. For this dish, choose ripe fruit that is still firm enough to place on the grill in halves. Very soft apricots are delicious, but they fall apart more easily and are better suited to a compote. Briefly grilling the fruit gives the cut sides browned edges and deepens the flavor. The fresh, slightly tart center is important too: it balances the rich goat cheese.

Fresh goat cheese is soft and pleasantly tart, but it can also be quite firm. A spoonful of crème fraîche makes it lighter and easier to spread; stir gently until the cheese is smooth and add only as much as needed. A little lemon brings out its fresh side. If fresh goat cheese is unavailable, soft cream cheese with a little crumbled chèvre works as an alternative, though the flavor will be milder. Don’t use aged, hard goat cheese as the main base: it won’t whip well.

Thyme complements the fruit without overpowering it. The walnuts provide an earthy, crisp contrast to the soft bread, cheese and warm apricot. Toast them briefly and keep them moving; once fragrant, they can quickly become too dark. No walnuts on hand? Hazelnuts work too, with a slightly more robust toasted flavor. Use freshly ground black pepper so its flavor remains distinct among the sweet and tart notes.

Serve the tartines immediately, as lunch with a green salad and a simple vinaigrette. They also work well as smaller bites on a lunch table: cut the slices in half after topping. Outside apricot season, you can use firm peaches or plums; adjust the grilling time to their ripeness. Don’t save assembled tartines for later, as the bread will become moist. Leftover whipped cheese can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days; keep the fruit separate and briefly warm it just before serving.