Crostini, tartines, pinchos!

These are white bean and arugula crostini, a recipe from Jill Dupleix's cookbook Very Simple Food. They're made with brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, which give them a delicious smoky sweetness.

The Italians have their bruschetta and crostini, the French have tartines and the Spanish their pinchos and montaditos. They're all essentially the same thing: mini open-faced sandwiches made with what you have around, such as cheese, cured meats, mushrooms, etc.

Here are some nice flavour combinations that I've found in cookbooks and during travels online:

• white bean and grilled eggplant
• peas, garlic and parmesan
• pear, prosciutto and radish
• artichoke and cannellini bean
• goat's cheese and roasted red pepper
• tomato, basil and bocconcini 
• smoked trout and cucumber
• fava beans with mint and goat's cheese
• smoked ham and coleslaw
• black olive tapenade with tomato and basil
• grilled eggplant and parmesan 
• apple, caramelized onions and thyme
• sauteed mushrooms with garlic and parsley

For further reading:

About.com's page on montaditos tapas

Laura Calder's tartine recipes on foodnetwork.ca

Giada de Laurentiis' 17 crostini recipes on foodnetwork.com

Jill Dupleix's website