ROAST RADISH TARTINES WITH SMASHED AVOCADO

One of my favorite things about living in California is the year-round access to delicious, creamy avocados. 

When we were in Portland, I'd have dreams about sprinkling a perfectly ripe avocado half with salt, pepper and lemon juice and diving into a half with a bag of tortilla chips, the $5/piece price tag and often bad quality deterred me ... Never again! I now buy a bundle every week at the farmers market and love coming up with different ways to eat them. 

After discovering the ease of roasting a pan of radishes, I've been incorporating the little magenta globes into many Springtime meals -- divine with scrambled eggs, as a topping for a spinach salad, nice even on a pizza with olive oil, pecorino and fresh herbs. When roasted, they get juicy and flavors get quite concentrated. They're the ideal partner to a smooth, decadent bed of avocado pieces. 

Roasted Radish Tartines with Smashed Avocado

serves 6-8

1 loaf rustic bread

3 bunches radishes, halved and with tops trimmed off 

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt to taste

4 avocados

juice from one lemon

2 tablespoons roughly chopped preserved lemon

fresh thyme, for garnish

¼ cup roughly crushed pistachios, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss radishes in olive oil with a little salt and pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes, until slightly soft. Remove from oven, allow to cool on baking sheet. 

To assemble tartine:

Preheat oven to broil setting. Cut bread into 8, 1/2-inch slices and place on a baking pan. Broil toast for about 2 minutes on each side, until evenly golden. Remove from pan and place on platter. In a large bowl smash the avocado flesh with a fork until slightly chunky. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Smear mashed avocado evenly onto the toasted bread. Sprinkle with preserved lemon bits, top with 5 radish halves and garnish with plenty of fresh thyme, pistachios and cracked black pepper. 

Serve immediately.