Feta Honey Artichoke Tartine/LA Life on Mars
I occupied the space between visitor and resident during my Life on Mars moment in Los Angeles. It was a mid-life “Less than Zero” where the only way out was through.
To begin, my timing was off, Mercury was in retrograde- and I missed seeing my parents due to a series of unfortunate events. Thusly, I had time on my hands, their Beverly Hills apartment to myself, a car to drive around in a city where the coffee is precious and pot is as easy to procure as candy and cookies- so you see, an existential brûlée was bound to occur.
It began grandly with a visit to Culver City and the beautifully designed and appointed Citizens Public Market I ordered an avocado toast and coffee from GoodboyBob. Avocado toasts have transcended cliche and are a staple whenever I travel. This one differentiated itself with pickled carrot ribbons. You know I’m going to co-opt that.
Dinner that night was spent with my a vintage college-era Los Angeleno friend. at a charming Italian restaurant on Laurel Canyon- the pizza, pasta, dessert were good but came in a distant second to the view from the top of the canyon. An entire firmament of dazzling stars filled my eyes as I drove back to my parent’s apartment, spellbound by the resplendence.
But what goes up must come down.
A people-are-strange-when-you’re-a stranger experience is just the thing to bring it all down, combine that with a very real case of mask malaise, and I found myself looking for solace at the iconic Farmer’ Market, hoping to enjoy a delicious open-faced tartine I had ordered during a past visit to Los Angeles.
This tartine was delivered on a thick slice of crusty bread with a bright tangy and succulent artichoke layer and on top of that a creamy layer of roquefort, but the kicker for me was the honey dripping down the sides. It delivered this knockout sandwich to nirvana. Salty, tangy, salty, and sweet- and with a toasty texture too. Loved it so much dedicated a whole chapter of my cookbook to it.
I wanted to land at the Farmers Market- with that sandwich. The Farmer’s Market holds wonderful memories for me; my mother used to take me and my brothers there on Friday afternoons. But I couldn’t find it, not as I remembered it, and I didn’t have the will to go on a culinary detective mission in search of a replacement.
Instead I drove to a supermarket near my parent’s apartment and gathered ingredients. I wanted to make a Gray Day in LA sandwich. Or, a midnight snack for the dark night of the soul
*I improvised with Feta cheese in this version of the tartine, but feel free to switch in Gorgonzola, Roquefort or any other pungent cheese of your choice.
2 slices of crusty bread
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 tbsp room temperature butter
1 6 oz. jar of marinated artichokes, chopped
1-2 tbsp honey
Preheat oven to 400F.
Place bread slices on a baking sheet, and lightly toast for 2-3 minutes
In the meantime combine the cheese and butter in a small bowl.
Remove toast from oven. Cover with chopped artichoke and the top with half of the cheese mixture, repeat.
Toast for 5 minutes, and then broil for an additional 30-60 seconds. Remove from oven, and then drip, drizzle, or pour with honey.
Post Script: Nights spent sitting on the apartment balcony, staring at the neon outlined palm trees. What is the answer? What? Tell me….Sorry, there is none. But there is radiant light and energy that we drip, drizzle, or pour into the world. And that is what makes it so damn good.
