This week's work ·
Radish tartines, warm toast, and pepper ground to suit
Butter, thin radishes and chives make a small lunch with very little cooking. An adjustable pepper mill is useful here, but the one already on the counter may be all you need.
A bunch of radishes brings a little color to the kitchen before anything reaches the plate. Wash away the soil, dry the roots and give the slicing some attention. Thin rounds sit comfortably on buttered toast; there is no reward for cutting so quickly that a small radish rolls under the knife.
This is an easy preparation to share. One person can trim the radishes while the other chops chives and sets out the plates. Leave the toast until the toppings are ready. Warm bread is useful; toast cooling beside an unfinished chopping board is less so.
The butter in this recipe is softened, not fridge-hard. Spread it while the bread is warm, then arrange the radish slices over it. Salt, pepper, oil and lemon finish the tartines. There is no elaborate dressing to mix and no reason to buy a bench scraper just to move a few slices from board to bread.
A little control over the pepper
The recipe calls for a quarter teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper across four tartines. Grind into a small dry dish and measure that amount rather than treating a particular number of turns as a teaspoon equivalent. Mills and settings give different outputs. Start with a texture you enjoy and look at the pepper before scattering it over the toast.
A finer grind is less conspicuous between the radishes; larger pieces make a more distinct bite. That is a preference, not a reason to insist on the most expensive mechanism. You can make these tartines with an existing grinder or suitable ground pepper. The comparison below is for a mill that needs replacing, or for someone who wants a more convenient adjustment for everyday seasoning.
OXO for practical adjustment; Peugeot for the wooden form
The mid-priced OXO Good Grips Contoured Pepper Grinder puts five settings on a sliding tab. A clear acrylic reservoir shows the peppercorn level, and the non-slip turning grip is comfortable to hold. Stainless-steel accents do not make it an all-steel mill: the mechanism is ceramic. It is supplied as one manual pepper grinder with black peppercorns included.
Its useful strengths are easy-to-find adjustment, comfortable turning and top-grinding storage that helps reduce stray grounds on the counter. Refilling is a less settled part of the design. The cap can be awkward to seat or loosen and spill peppercorns. Output and the difference between settings can also disappoint. Those compromises matter even for a small finishing quantity; five marked choices are not a promise of five equally satisfying grinds.
The higher-priced alternative is the Peugeot Paris u'Select in chocolate-finish beechwood, nominally 22 cm and marketed as a 9-inch pepper mill. It has a case-hardened steel pepper mechanism and six marked positions on a base ring. It is one manual mill, sold without peppercorns. Its taller wooden body and different adjustment layout are tangible reasons to consider it, not evidence that it holds more usable pepper than the OXO.
Smooth turning and the curved wooden form are the Peugeot's attractions. Hold the body above the adjustment ring so your hand does not move the setting while grinding. Refilling through the top can be finicky, feeding can stop intermittently, and the wooden collar can split. Satisfying operation is possible too; the higher price does not remove those risks. Lifetime mechanism coverage is distinct from the five-year manual-mill warranty, with conditions and exclusions rather than a whole-mill lifetime promise.
Choose OXO if the visible fill level, tab and lower outlay suit you. Choose Peugeot if its wooden shape and ring adjustment matter enough to accept the extra cost and care. Both serve this small seasoning job; their usable reservoir capacities are not independently matched. Neither purchase is necessary to put radishes on toast.
Keep the mills dry and away from the toaster. For Peugeot, follow clockwise grinding and suitable dry peppercorns no larger than 6 mm; keep salt out, empty and soft-brush the mechanism, and wipe the wood with a soft dry cloth. Follow the supplied OXO care instructions for its different construction. Do not assume either mill belongs in the washing-up bowl.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare both choices.
| What matters | OXO Good Grips Contoured Pepper Grinder, single | Peugeot Paris u'Select pepper mill, chocolate, 22 cm / marketed 9-inch |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | mid-priced | higher-priced |
| Construction | Clear acrylic reservoir, stainless-steel accents, ceramic grinding mechanism, non-slip grip | Chocolate-finish beechwood body with case-hardened steel pepper mechanism |
| Included pieces | One manual pepper grinder; peppercorns included | One manual pepper grinder; peppercorns not included |
| Best fit | Compact daily seasoning, visible fill level and top-grinding storage | Traditional wooden form, smooth turning and marked ring adjustment |
| Worth knowing | Refill closure can be awkward or loosen; inconsistent output and grind contrast; no lifespan promise | Finicky refill; intermittent feeding; wooden collar can split; higher price does not establish longer life |
| Care | Follow supplied OXO care instructions; do not assume another mill's washing method applies | Keep dry; soft dry exterior cloth; empty and soft-brush mechanism; clockwise grinding; suitable peppercorns up to 6 mm, not salt |
| Grind settings | 5 | 6 |
| Adjustment | Sliding tab | Base ring |
| Nominal height | Not specified here | 22 cm |
| Usable reservoir capacity | Not established; height is not refill volume | Not established; height is not refill volume |
| Warranty | Better Guarantee covers normal-household-use material/workmanship defects subject to care and product terms; refund requires original receipt | Lifetime mechanism coverage is distinct from the five-year manual-mill warranty; proof, care and exclusions apply |
Check current price: OXO Good Grips Contoured Pepper Grinder, single
Check current price: Peugeot Paris u'Select pepper mill, chocolate, 22 cm / marketed 9-inch
02 · The recipe
Radish & Herb Tartines
Butter, thin radishes and chives make a small lunch with very little cooking. An adjustable pepper mill is useful here, but the one already on the counter may be all you need.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 tartines
Approximate planning estimate, not observed testing; careful slicing and extra toaster batches can extend tartines; bread baking or reheating excluded from caprese.
What you'll need
- 4 thick slices sourdough bread
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1 bunch radishes (about 12), sliced paper-thin
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon
Useful equipment
- Stable cutting board and suitable knife
- Toaster used according to its instructions
- Serving plates and suitable spreading/transfer utensils
- Dry dish and measuring spoons
- Existing suitable pepper grinder or ground pepper
Method
- Wash and dry the radishes and chives. Trim and thinly slice the radishes with a suitable knife on a stable board, making a flat side if needed to keep each root steady; keep fingers clear and do not chase paper-thin slices at the expense of control. Chop the chives. Grind the pepper into a small dry dish and measure 1/4 teaspoon. Once the toppings are ready, toast the bread until golden at the edges, following the toaster's instructions and keeping utensils out of it.
- Transfer the toast safely to plates and spread the measured softened butter evenly over the four warm slices, right to the crusts. The butter is softened, not cold and hard.
- Arrange the radish rounds in overlapping layers over the butter, dividing them among the four slices. Use a suitable utensil for transferring them rather than sliding fingers along a knife edge.
- Divide the measured chives, flaky salt, pepper and olive oil over the tartines. Finish with a squeeze from the half lemon, keeping seeds off the toast. Serve promptly while the bread is warm.
