September 11: Ham and Asparagus Tartines

2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
2 teaspoons freshly grated or ground nutmeg
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large ¾-inch-thick hand-cut slices from a large loaf of farm-style bread

¾ pound baked ham, thinly sliced

16 asparagus tips, blanched for a minute or two then chilled in ice water and dried well

¾ pound Brie, sliced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon apricot jam or orange marmalade
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups mixed baby greens, any variety

Preheat the broiler to high.

Heat a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and melt. Whisk the flour into the butter and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the half-and-half. Season with 1 teaspoon of the Dijon mustard, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes to thicken. Remove from the heat. Spread the bread slices with the sauce and top with a couple slices of ham, 4 asparagus tips, and the Brie.

Melt the Brie under the broiler.

In a salad bowl, whisk together the remaining teaspoon of mustard, the vinegar, apricot jam, and tarragon. Whisk in the EVOO in a slow stream. Add the greens to the bowl and toss to dress. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve on large plates with the hot tartines alongside.

4 SERVINGS

Instead of making the sauce again for this variation on the Croque Monsieurs, I just used the leftovers from the master recipe. I also used the leftover salad instead of making that all over again. It makes things so much quicker! I used a whole pound of asparagus, because I think we needed more veggies to this meal. It turned out great. RR says: "Tartines are open-face sandwiches that are especially popular in Belgium. This one is great for B or D: Brunch or Dinner."