Tartines sound and look quite sophisticated, but they are just fancy open-faced sandwiches. When put together well, they are showstoppers for an upscale picnic or an impressive dinner party. Smaller Mission figs sit nicely atop these tartines, yet any fresh figs will work, including beautiful green ones if you can find them. Oregon's Rogue Creamery blue cheeses make these stand out.
Preheat an outdoor grill to medium high. Or, heat a grill pan to medium high.
Lightly brush the bread with olive oil. Place the slices on the grill or in the pan and toast each side until grill marks appear and the bread becomes golden and slightly crisp. Remove from heat and place the slices on a large cutting board or clean surface to assemble the tartines.
Arrange the blue cheese evenly on the bread slices. Then, carefully nestle the figs among the cheese to fill out each slice. Lightly drizzle the tartines with the honey and top with fresh pepper to taste.
Note: These tartines can be cut into 1-2" pieces and served as hors d'oeuvres.