Grilled cheese
Unexpected Ginger Garden
These fresh flavors make a surprising sandwich that is complex and fresh and is shows how a small amount of the right cheeses can tie a dish together without overpowering. Perfect for the vegetarian who isn't looking for another dish that masks itself in cheese but instead uses the flavors and textures of cheese to let the complexity of garden vegetables stand out.
Hearty buttermilk wholewheat bread, 2 thick slices (1-1/2 cups Buttermilk, 1-1/2 Tbsp. Butter, 2 Tbsp. Sugar, 1 tsp. Salt, 2 cups Bread Flour, 1 1/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour, 2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast )
- 1/3 cup grated applewood smoked chedder
- 1/8 cup grated Havarti
- 6oz cream cheese
- 1 1/2 TBSP grated fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 TBSP raw unfiltered honey (raw mountain clover honey)
- 3 TBSP unsalted butter
- 1 lb carrots with greens removed
- 1 TBSP mustard seed
- sea salt
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 3 TBSP fresh dill, chopped
- small yellow onion
- 2 tsp olive oil
- handful of arugula
Choose a bread that has some bite and nuttiness to it. A simple homemade buttermilk wholewheat sliced to a generous 1/2" works well.
For the ginger cream cheese thoroughly combine the cream cheese, grated ginger, and raw honey in a lidded container and refrigerate 2 hours or more. Soften before spreading.
For carrots, quarter the carrots lengthwise. In a 12" skillet melt 1 TBSP of butter and add the mustard seed, carrots, and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until the thickest carrots are soft, adding 2 TBSP of water if needed, approx 18‐20 mins. Remove from heat and toss with vinegar and dill. Salt to taste. Set aside to cool.
Slice yellow onion into 1/4" thick rounds then cut the rounds in half to end with half circles of 1/4" onion. Heat oil in cast iron skillet ove r medium heat and add onions. Stir occasionally until tender and golden with some browning. 7-9 minutes.
Place arugula in a microwave safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high 12-15 seconds or until just wilted. Allow to cool covered. Roughly chop.
To prepare sandwich. Soften butter and liberally spread 1 TBSP on one side of a slice of bread. Set buttered side down on cold griddle. Sprinkle bread with the applewood smoked cheddar. Arrange two layers of carrots on top of the cheddar. Lightly sprinkle 1-2tsp of the havarti on top of the carrots then layer the arugula on. Next layer with remaining havarti. Add a thin layer of sautéed onions. On second slice of bread, spread a generous amount of softened ginger-honey cream cheese, approx 2 TBSP. Place on top of sandwich, cream cheese down so that you can finish the sandwich by buttering the exposed side with remaining TBSP of butter. Grill over medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Carefully flip over and finish grilling for 3-4 minutes. Allow to partially cool to avoid a messy cut or handling.
Bitter and Green
Rye bread can over power delicate flavors. To overcome this and still have a satisfying sandwich the ingredients that accompany the rye have to pack equal punch without overwhelming each other.
- 2 Thick slices of rustic rye bread
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups parsley, washed, stems removed
- 1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- sea salt
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 small zucchini
- ¼ cup peppercorn cheddar, cave aged, shredded
- ¼ cup swiss cheese, shredded
- cinnamon for sprinkling (optional)
For Parsley Pesto
Prepare a bowl of ice water big enough put a colander in. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In 3-4 batches, drop parsley in boiling water for 1-2 seconds then quickly remove with a slotted spoon and place quickly in ice water. Drain and place on paper towel. Repeat until all parsley has been blanched. Place parsley, walnuts, pinch or two of sea salt, and garlic in blender or food processor with 1/3 cup oil. Process, adding olive oil 1 TBSP at a time, until smooth.
Place arugula in a microwave safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high 12‐15 seconds or until just wilted. Allow to cool covered. Roughly chop.
Cut zucchini into ¼” batons. Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in a skillet over medium he at. Add zucchini and sweat until tender.
Butter one face of each slice of bread. Lay on slice on a skillet, butter side down. Spread 1-2 TBSP of parsley pesto on the unbuttered, face up side, of the bread. Sprinkle the peppercorn cheddar over the pesto. Put a layer of cooked zucchini on top of that. If using cinnamon, sprinkle generous amount over the zucchini now. Now arrange the arugula on top. Sprinkle arugula with the swiss cheese. Place second slice of bread, butter up, on top to complete the sandwich. Grill over medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Carefully flip over and finish grilling for 3-4 minutes. Allow to partially cool to avoid a messy cut or handling.