Tartines are essentially French open-face sandwiches. In this nibble, crunchy toasts are topped with roasted Spanish piquillo peppers and rich, savory sardines. A few drops of spicy sriracha sauce give this sophisticated starter a bit of heat.

Ingredients

* 12 1/3-inch-thick baguette slices, cut on diagonal into 3- to 4-inch lengths * Extra-virgin olive oil * 1 garlic clove, peeled, halved * 1 1/2 3.75-ounce cans skinless boneless sardines (preferably wild-caught) packed in olive oil, drained well * Sriracha sauce or other hot chili sauce (optional) * Fresh lemon juice plus lemon wedges for garnish * Very thin onion slices * More >