Learning Objective
You will learn how to make tartines that will nourish your gut microbiome by following the core principles.
![Whipped Ricotta Sourdough Tartines with Pickled Radish](https://thesourdoughschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Radish-Banner-scaled.jpg)
Whipped Ricotta Sourdough Tartines with Pickled Radish
A tartine is an open-faced sandwich that can be served with either sweet or savoury toppings. You’ll often see them in cafes or bakeries, served for breakfast or lunch, yet they make a great meal or snack at any time of day. This tartine recipe features wholemeal sourdough bread made with our freshly milled botanical blends, topped with whipped ricotta cheese, fresh greens and pickled radishes with shallot.
At The Sourdough Club, we always encourage our students to incorporate our seven core principles in order to nourish a healthy gut microbiome, support a strong immune system and foster better mental health. We love to show you ways to eat your healthy bread with symbiotic recipes that introduce diversity for improved wellbeing.
Increasing dietary fibre and the diversity of ingredients that go into your diet are two of the most important ways to improve gut health. Serving this tartine on our 50% Wholemeal Classic Sourdough ticks both boxes, with a diversity score of 14 ingredients offering ample and varied sources of fibre and other nutrients.
The vegetables in this tartine are also a wonderful source of prebiotic fibre to help support the gut microbiome, and the radishes and shallot fermented in raw vinegar provide beneficial live bacteria for the gut. It is best to begin making the pickled vegetables at least one day before you plan to eat these tartines, so they have time to ferment. Introducing fermented foods into your diet has the potential to increase the availability of particular key nutrients, including antioxidants, which help to reduce cell damage.
Finally, the ricotta cheese on this tartine is a great source of protein for your lunch. Ricotta is a fresh cheese made from whey that is left over from the production of other cheeses, and is often seen as a sustainable option. Each ingredient here comes together in a wonderful balance of textures and salty, sweet and sour flavours.
Another key aspect of our core principles is to incorporate this way of thinking about food into all aspects of our lifestyle, making changes that support the body for overall health. Try to take at least ten minutes to sit and simply enjoy your lunch. If the weather permits, take your tartines outside and eat in the sunshine to reflect, relieve stress and connect with your food and loved ones.
How to make our Whipped Ricotta Sourdough Tartines with Pickled Radish:
Prep time: 24 hours for the pickled vegetables, 5–10 minutes for assembly
Makes: 4 tartines
Diversity score: 20+
Ingredients:
Pickled Radish and Shallots:
50ml raw apple cider vinegar
50ml warm water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium-sized shallot, thinly sliced
5–6 small radishes, thinly sliced
Tartines:
4 slices of our 50% wholemeal classic sourdough
125g ricotta
½ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
a few handfuls of fresh micro-greens or baby lettuce
olive oil and flaky sea salt (to finish)
Equipment:
chopping board and knife
mixing bowl
whisk
food processor
spoon
toaster or pan for the stove (to toast)
Method:
To make the pickled radish and shallots, pour the vinegar and water into a bowl. Add the sea salt and whisk to combine and dissolve the salt. Add the shallots and radishes and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave at room temperature for at least a few hours – ideally, you should ferment them overnight, or over several days, as this is the best way to encourage beneficial bacteria.
When you’re ready to make the tartines, combine the ricotta and salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until whipped and smooth (this can also be done by hand with a whisk). Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set aside.
Toast the sourdough slices until golden brown, then spread a dollop of the whipped ricotta over each slice. Arrange the pickled radishes and shallots on top, then scatter over the micro-greens and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Finish with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt and enjoy!
Learning Outcome
You will understand that topping your sourdough with fermented vegetables and cheese can be a great source of prebiotic fibre and protein.