Beans and Greens Tartine

1. Stage

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Stage

Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the bread.

3. Stage

Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown, about 20 minutes.

4. Stage

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add Swiss chard and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer chard to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and squeeze out as much excess water from the chard as possible using your hands. Roughly chop.

5. Stage

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-heat and add garlic. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add chard and stir to combine. Turn off heat, and season with lemon zest, salt, pepper, and cayenne; stir to combine. Remove from stove and set aside until needed.

6. Stage

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until well browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and remove bacon with a slotted spoon. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Crumble once cool enough to handle.

7. Stage

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

8. Stage

Remove all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the skillet. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add green onions. Cook onions for 1 minute. Stir in cumin, oregano, and salt. Add beans, and stir to combine. Add water, and bring to a simmer. Once beans are simmering, use a potato masher to mash beans as smooth as you want. Add more water of you like to achieve desired texture. Taste and adjust for salt.

9. Stage

Spread bean mixture evenly amongst the 4 pieces of toast. Top with chard, followed by crumbled bacon. Drizzle with lemon juice, and top with freshly grated pepper Jack cheese.

10. Stage

Bake in the preheated oven until cheese starts to brown and the tartines are heated through, about 12 minutes.

11. Stage

Serve topped with Fresno chile pepper slices and green onions.