FFwD: Two Tartines from La Croix Rouge

I can't say that I was particularly excited about this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, except for the fact that its two components were easy. So easy that even my easily distracted self could handle preparing it on time, for once.

The recipe is really two recipes, if you can even call them that, for tartines made at a cafe in Dorie's neighborhood.

The Tartine Norvegienne--a slice of bread toasted, buttered, and layered with a slice of smoked salmon, capers, and ground pepper--sounded particularly unappetizing to me. I've never been a fan of smoked salmon, so I sprang for the pricier of the two options I could find. It wasn't actually expensive, it was just more expensive, so I figured it would give me my best shot of enjoying this.

Turns out, I did not hate this. In fact, I almost enjoyed it. I liked it enough that I plan to finish the pack of salmon instead of tossing it. Huzzah!

The second, Tartine Saint-Germain, was more my speed. It's basically a roast beef sandwich without the top piece of bread. Toast bread, smear with mayo, add thinly sliced cornichon (I used a normal baby dill pickle), and top with "paper-thin slices rarest-possible roast beef." I just used what was at the deli counter at the commissary, and I don't regret it.

The group prepared Helene's All-White Salad a few weeks back. I made the dish on time, but we traveled to Bologna the next day, and it derailed my efforts to blog about it, especially since I HATED this salad.

It's like Helene made a list of the most unappetizing raw things she could think of, and threw them together with the slightest bit of seasoning. Cabbage, celery, white mushrooms, and Granny Smith apples do not belong together, especially when bound by a dressing of egg yolk, Greek yogurt, salt, lemon, and olive oil.

No thanks.

I'm just mad that I wasted 1/2 cup of my precious produced-at-an-agriturismo-I-stayed-at olive oil on this.