Equal Parts

A few miles from my office is the best grocery store in metro Detroit. It has everything: beautifully ripe fruit, farm-fresh vegetables, fresh seafood and organic meat, European cheeses, a diverse selection of wine and craft beer, every type of alternative grain and flour, a See’s candy counter, housemade juices, a coffee bar, and an incredible prepared foods section that includes crusty, square-cut pizza, my favorite cabbage soup, brown rice sushi, chicken shawarma bowls on Thursdays, really good tuna salad, and the best muffin-cup frittatas. I don’t visit that often (because I would not be able to pay my utility bills), but lately I’ve been stopping by on Friday afternoons to pick up a baguette. I feel very French.

Every morning my favorite bakery, Zingerman’s Bakehouse, delivers stacks of artisan sourdoughs, delicate pastries, and velvety cakes to this store, and I enjoy their French baguette more than any other offering. It’s made with a poolish — a pre-ferment, like a starter — and baked directly on stone, and the result is deeply flavorful and wonderfully crusty. To me it tastes like toasted, buttered bread, but with no actual butter or additional toasting. I often tear off a piece right when I leave the store, and I’ve got the crumbs in my car to prove it. I know historians say that Marie Antoinette was referring to brioche when she infamously said, “Let them eat cake,” but are we absolutely certain she wasn’t referring to a baguette? Stick a candle in it and serve it to me on my birthday, this is all I want.

Two weeks ago the baguette was to make garlic toast to serve alongside homemade pasta and our chocolate cake.

“Have I told you how much I love this baguette?” I asked Jeff, before launching into my spiel. “It’s made with a poolish…” (I had. He’d heard it many times.)

Last week a friend invited us over for sweet potato gnocchi and asked if we could bring a side. I had the idea of a white bean crostini with some sort of sautéed greens, sort of a wintry alternative to tomato bruschetta.

I got to her house and started slicing the baguette to toast.

“Have I told you how much I love this baguette?” I asked Kristen, before launching into my spiel. “It’s made with a poolish…” (I had. She’d heard it many times.)

Until I get back to Paris, I will continue to repeat my stories about this baguette.

As for the crostini, I loosely followed a random recipe for cannellini bean purée, and also sautéed rainbow chard according to my favorite method, then layered them both on a piece of the toast. I loved it so much I’m planning to substitute my beloved baguette for two slices of sourdough and sandwiching the white bean spread and greens, perhaps adding some carrot ribbons or sliced radish for crunch, for a perfect work lunch.

WHITE BEAN CROSTINI WITH CHARD

You’ll need:
1 bunch of chard, sautéed (recipe here, and also includes the pantry staples of olive oil, garlic, and red wine vinegar)
1 French baguette (preferably from Zingerman’s Bakehouse)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2-4 tbsp water, plus more as needed

If you haven’t already, sautée the chard, recipe here. Set aside.

Heat oven to 400. Slice the baguette diagonally, into approximately 1/2-inch slices. Set on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Flip the slices over and drizzle the other side with olive oil. Toast in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, until the bread is golden brown, and still a little soft in the center. Set aside.

To make the white bean spread, heat the olive in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn. Add the garlic and olive oil to the bowl of a food processor. Add the beans, thyme, pinch of red pepper flakes, pinch of salt and pepper, and 2 tbsp of water. Purée until the consistency is mostly smooth with some thicker parts. If necessary, add additional water 1 tbsp at a time to get to desired consistency. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

To assemble the crostini, spread a layer of the white bean purée over each toast, then top with a layer of the sautéed greens. The beans and greens can both be made in advance, but bring them up to room temperature before serving.