Avocado & Radish Mini Tartines

Our friends TK and Sindhu gave me this wonderful book by Clotilde Dusoulier as a gift. Right after the book was published, it was on my Amazon wishlist. So it was a delightful coincidence when I received it as a gift! Thanks to them for knowing me so well :). 

I've been trying out the recipes in the book, and they are all fantastic. The recipes defy the common notions and misunderstandings surrounding French cuisine. None of the recipes are high-brow or daunting. The book is a collection of healthy recipes based on fresh seasonal produce, and they are all accessible and easy to prepare. It's yet another testament to how simple ingredients and tasteful, minimalistic seasonings pair together to make amazingly delicious dishes. Although there are some ingredients that are perhaps a little hard to find in common stores, Clotilde makes sure to suggest substitutions and alternatives. 

Anyway, when my friends visited last week, I decided to make a three course simple meal from the book.

Starting with this appetizer, I adapted the recipe from the book, and thanks to TK's feedback and suggestions, it was improvised further for an addictive and incredibly easy finger food! 

Ingredients (serves 5-6):

1. 3 avocados, seeded, diced and roughly mashed
2. 2 limes (the grated zest of 1 lime, and the juice of both limes)
3. 1 teaspoon paprika 
4. 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
5. 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced (thanks to TK's suggestion!)
6. 10 mini pink radishes, sliced
7. 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
8. 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or as needed) 
9. 1 crusty multi-grain baguette, sliced
10. 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix/mash together the avocados with the lime juice. Season with paprika, cumin powder, half the lime zest, and minced garlic and mix well. Add half of the pepper and salt and gently mix. 
2. Brush the slices of baguette with olive oil. 
3. Spread the avocado spread on the baguette slices and top with sliced radishes. 
4. Garnish with some remaining lime zest, salt, pepper, and some paprika (paprika is optional)

 This was a zesty, flavorful appetizer. It had the right amount of texture and crunch, and the radishes went so well with the creamy avocados spiked with the tart limes. Highly recommended!