Summer Squash Panini with Ricotta and Kale Pistou

After a seven-month hiatus, one would think that I'd come back with some momentously intensive recipe and not just casual instructions for sandwich fixings, but...its summer. Livin' is easy, etc. Plus, no one wants to even think about firing up an oven. Zucchini and its yellow kin are in season and I can't get enough, so I'm presenting one of my favorite ways to consume them: as grilled slabs between two toasted pieces of bread. Add spreads of zippy, lemon-zesty ricotta, verdant kale pistou, and a beading bottle of crisp beer, and you have yourself a perfect summer sup.

Summer Squash, Ricotta and Kale Pistou Panini
Makes two sandwiches

*2 summer squash: green, yellow, or one of each
*1/2 cup ricotta, drained (and preferrably homemade)
*1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
*Handful of basil leaves, 1 cut in chiffonade
*3 leaves kale, torn into pieces
*1 heaping tablespoon almonds
*1 fat clove garlic
*Olive oil
*S&P
*4 thick slices of rustic bread

Slice the squash lengthwise with a mandoline or a steady, guiding hand into strips no thicker than 1/4 inch, then sprinkle with salt and sit to drain in a colander for about 30 minutes (this, while your ricotta drains too, perhaps). Meanwhile, make the kale pistou by blitzing the greens, a handful of basil leaves, a garlic clove, almonds and S&P together into a thick paste, drizzling with a little olive oil to thin only slightly. 

After the drainage is done, heat the panini press. Pat each slice of squash dry with a paper towel, and toss with some olive oil and pinches of S&P. Either grill or broil the slices (or do what I did and throw them into the panini press) for 3-4 minutes. Set aside and prep the ricotta by stirring in the lemon zest, pinches of S&P, and the chiffonade of basil. Take your bread slices and brush one side of each with a touch of olive oil, then compose the panini by spreading half of the ricotta mix on one interior side, kale pistou on the other, and then sandwich squash slices between them. Press for 4 minutes or so in the panini maker.

Haricot Vert, Purslane & Swiss Summer Panini

A dear friend invited me to raid her garden over the weekend and I was there almost before I hung up the phone. After a lovely evening filled with berry juice-stained fingers, floppy hats, the warm wink of fireflies and the thunk of beans hitting the bottom of a new bucket, I came away with quite a bounty, including a bit of a brand-new-to-me edible weed, purslane. Her Turkish beau pointed out its presence on her property - I gather it is greatly enjoyed by Turkish folk (with yogurt, especially). I like it; it has a slight mucilaginous quality but it is succulent (and IS a succulent!), with a lightly sour, cress-like flavor. A perfect addition to salads, or in this case, a crisply verdant summer panini with beans also plucked from the garden. However, if you don't stumble across it outdoors, you can always sub arugula or watercress.

This sandwich is inspired by the haricot vert panini on the menu at my beloved Tired Hands, although I must confess that even though it has intrigued me for months I have never ordered it because their meat ones are SO GOOD that I'd never dream of eating anything else there. However, my version has me convinced that it's a true contender with the meat'uns, especially in these summer months where something lighter is better. Sometime I'll have to actually order my inspiration while I'm sipping a delicious saison and see how it stacks up!

Haricot Vert, Purslane & Swiss Summer Panini
Makes 1 sandwich

*About 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided

*1 teensy shallot or 1/2 of a small sweet onion, sliced thinly

*1 big handful of haricots verts, trimmed & blanched (briefly, like 10 seconds max)  

*1/4 cup purslane leaves + a few extra tender sprigs

*2 slices hearty bakery bread

*4 slices of really good Swiss cheese

*Your favorite fancy Dijon mustard, about a teaspoon & a half
*2 tablespoons good EVOO
*2 teaspoons lemon juice
*Leaves from a few thyme branches
*S&P

Whisk together the mustard, evoo, lemon juice, thyme leaves and pinches of S&P, set aside. In a skillet, melt a pat of butter with a drizzle of oil over medium low and add the shallots. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and saute for a couple minutes before adding in the beans. Saute a few minutes more then add the purslane leaves and remove from heat. Toss with the mustard vinaigrette. Season to taste.

Brush one side of each of the bread slices with a bit of the other tablespoon of butter (melted or room temp), then assemble the sandwich by smoothing a thin layer of mustard on one slice, then top with half the Swiss, the bean-purslane mix, the reserved sprigs of purslane, and then the rest of the cheese. Press the sandwich in a preheated panini maker for a couple minutes until the sandwich is toasty and the cheese has oozed. Cut 'n eat!

Wild Mushroom, Caramelized Shallot & Brie Panini

This is a perfect winter vegetarian sandwich, earthy, warming, flavorful but mellow, and incredibly filling. Out of all the paninis I've pressed in the maker I got for Christmas, I think this is my favorite. Perhaps not the most appealing to take a picture of, but I swear there is one delicious bite after another in that green and brown tangle!

Wild Mushroom, Brie & Caramelized Shallot Panini
Makes 1 sandwich

*2 tablespoons butter, divided
*EVOO (I used a garlic-infused variety)

*2-3 shallots, sliced thinly

*2 cups mixed wild mushrooms, stemmed, wiped & sliced 

*Scant 1/2 teaspoon minced thyme leaves

*S&P
*Balsamic vinegar

*2 slices hearty bakery bread

*3-4 slices of Brie

*Palmful of baby arugula
*Your favorite fancy mustard (chablis Dijon, for me)

In a wide cast-iron skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter with a drizzle of garlic infused oil and add the shallots. Sprinkle with a healthy pinch of salt (and a little pinch of sugar too, to speed things along) and caramelize for a good 30 minutes. If you don't have garlic infused oil and want a hint of the beautiful stinking rose, feel free to mince a clove up and throw it in with the shallots for the last few minutes of caramelizing. Remove the shallots from the pan and add the mushrooms and another drizzle of oil (regular evoo used this time), then saute for 4 minutes before adding the thyme and seasoning with salt & pepper. Cook another minute, splash with a touch of balsamic, and toss well.

Brush one side of each of the bread slices with a bit of the other tablespoon of butter (melted or room temp), then assemble the sandwich by smoothing a thin layer of mustard on one slice, then top with the shallots, mushrooms, arugula and finally, the Brie. Press the sandwich in a preheated panini maker for 4 minutes or so, until the sandwich is toasty. Cut 'n eat!

Turkey Avocado-Blue Sandwiches with Kale Chips

Perhaps not a La Rochefoucauld-minted maxim, but "Everything Tastes Better with Bacon" is nonetheless a simple, amaranthine truth. Less constant is "Everything Tastes Better with Avocado", but when it comes to sandwiches, the saying is: Absolutely Correct. Biting through the layers of any given sandwich, it is always a pleasure to come across a rich, buttery wealth of avocado. For this particular specimen, instead of simply cutting the avocado into slices I decided to mash the pale green fruit flesh with some blue cheese (Gorgonzola), a delicious combo reminiscent of Nigella Lawson's "Roquamole". I slathered it on the bread as a spread before stacking the bacon, turkey, tomato, Swiss and lettuce. I opted for some verdant kale chips on the side for a tidy noontime meal, but you could just as well serve the sandwich next to a luscious bisque for a quick and hearty dinner.

Turkey Avocado-Blue Sandwiches
Makes 2 Sandwiches

*4 slices of your preferred bread (I'm using a rustic loaf from my local bakery)
*Half an avocado
*Heaping 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese of your choice
*Squeeze of lemon juice
*Romaine lettuce leaves
*4 slices good slab bacon
*6 oz deli-sliced turkey
*2-4 thin slices of tomato
*4 thin slices of a nutty Swiss

Fry bacon until crisp, blot on paper towels. After splitting 'n pitting the avocado, remove the flesh from the jacket and mash with the cheese and a squeeze of lemon until it resembles a thick spread. Lightly toast your bread, and then spread two slices with the avocado-blue cheese mix. Assemble the lettuce, bacon, turkey, tomato and Swiss as well as any other fixings of your choice, and presto, sandwich! I usually wrap the other half of the avocado well in Saran and pop in the fridge for the next day, but you could always mash it up with more cheese, a squeeze of lemon and a dusting of paprika for an excellent quick dip.

You may find my kale chips post here. 

Chicken Salad Wraps

I have to admit, I'm not too familiar with the quintessential "chicken salad". I may or may not have had chicken salad at some point in my life, but if so, it never made an impression on me. It certainly wasn't anything I thought about making myself! That is, until a number of months ago when I was browsing a really beautiful food blog, What Katie Ate, and came across her recipe for chicken salad. It sounded so tasty that I made it almost immediately after reading the recipe - and it was just as good as it sounded. Over time I've tweaked and prodded at the recipe, and this is my final draft - without knowing the ins and outs of your traditional deli-style chicken salad, I still think I can say with certainty that this is damn good chicken salad. If you have a secret ingredient that goes into your batch though, do share! There's always room for further perfection.

Chicken Salad Wraps
No. of servings vary - I usually get one big wrap's worth plus another sandwich/half sandwich out of this recipe

*1 chicken breast, butterflied or cut into a few strips
*1 tablespoon black peppercorns
*1/2 lemon
*1/2 stalk celery, very finely sliced
*1 heaping tablespoon golden raisins
*1/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
*Leaves from one branch of tarragon, roughly chopped
*1 1/2 teaspoons cream cheese
*2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
*S&P
*A couple passes over the microplane with a hunk of good Parm-Reg
*1 wrap skin or large tortilla, OR a couple slices of your preferred bread.

Fill a wide pan with a couple inches of water, enough to cover your chicken breast. Add the peppercorns and a sprinkle of salt along with the juice of half a lemon, and then cut the spent lemon half into a few pieces and throw them in too. Bring to a boil and continue boiling rapidly for a few minutes before adding the chicken. Turn the heat down to low, cover and poach the chicken for about 10 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred when cool enough to touch.

Combine the celery, tarragon, raisins, toasted walnuts, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and chicken, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate in just a touch of Parm-Reg, stir, and then pop into a container and chill for a while. When ready to eat, assemble your wrap/sandwich, and enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Soup and Grilled Habanero Cheddar Cheese Sandwich

This summer has marked my first foray into growing tomatoes, and after lots of fretting and waiting, my enormous German Johnson heirloom tomato plant finally yielded some red-ripe fruit yesterday. After cutting and eating a slice I'm salivating for more - this is a delicious varietal. Although I could have sliced the whole monster up and eaten it with a sprinkle of salt, I decided to put them towards a soup & sandwich combo - the most beloved of all, tomato soup and grilled cheese. I've made this soup many, many times after transcribing the original recipe from an old Gourmet magazine years back, and can say with authority that it's only as good as the tomatoes you use. Please, for the sake of delicious soup, search out fresh-picked, organically grown tomatoes, either from a farmers market or a roadside stand or your own backyard!

Roasted Tomato Soup
Makes 2-3 entree-size servings

*Approximately 3 lbs fresh-picked, organically grown tomatoes
*4 unpeeled garlic cloves
*1 small shallot, minced
*1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
*1 tablespoon butter
*1 cup chicken or veg stock, plus a little extra (preferrably homemade)
*S&P
*1 tablespoon heavy cream
*1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce

Heat the oven to 350. Quarter the tomatoes and spread them skin side down in the one layer onto foil-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with a little salt. Add the unpeeled garlic to the sheet and roast it all for about 45 minutes or until the tomatoes are very soft and their skin is dark brown.  Peel the garlic when its cooled enough to touch.

Towards the end of the roasting time melt the butter in a pot over moderate heat and saute the shallot with a sprinkle of salt and fresh cracked pepper for about 10 mins. Add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, the garlic, stock and oregano to the pot, and then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree in a blender (prudently!), or use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it is smooth.  Add more stock in little amounts to thin to desired consistency, making sure to taste after every addition, and season with more salt & pepper if necessary. Mix the cream and adobo sauce toegther, ladle out the soup, and then drizzle the cream over the top.

Grilled Habanero Cheddar Cheese Sandwich
Makes 2 sandwiches

*4 slices sourdough or farmhouse style bread (I use Pepperidge Farm)
*3 tablespoons softened butter
*2 heaping cups grated habanero cheddar cheese (I use Oak Shade Farm)

Heat a wide cast iron or nonstick skillet over moderate heat. Lay your bread slices out, and evenly butter one side of all 4. To assemble the sandwiches, lay one piece of bread into the hot pan, buttered side down, and carefully pile a heaping cup of grated cheese onto it, gently spreading it around the bread raft. Lightly press another piece of bread, buttered side up, down onto the pile of cheese and then cover your pan and cook for 4-5 minutes. Covering the skillet speeds up the melting process. When you take the cover off, you can scrape out all the delicious, crispy cheese-bits that didn't stay on the bread and while nibbling them, flip the sandwich over carefully and press down with a spatula. Brown on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.