Nourishments—

Hold The Mayo, There’s So Much More

By Nancy K. Crevier

What is better than a crusty chunk of ciabatta bread slathered with pesto, then topped with summer’s queen — the tomato — and a slice of fresh mozzarella? Is it that robust pumpernickel spread with vegetable cream cheese and roasted vegetables, or the flavorful slice of wheat bread spread with smoky eggplant baba ganouj?

From the time we bite into that first PB&J on white bread, sandwiches become a staple of our meals, morning, noon and night.

Called a “sandwich” in honor of England’s 18th Century statesman, John Montagu, who by some accounts demanded meat between bread to keep his poker hands clean while playing, or by other accounts, in order to keep his piles of work papers free of mealtime grease, it is the Right Honorable Fourth Earl of Sandwich for whom the filling-stuffed breads are named. (But wouldn’t “Make me a Montagu” sound much more melodic?)

I subsisted on a diet of bologna and mustard sandwiches on Taystee white bread, supplemented with peanut butter and honey on “brown” bread for the first several years of my life, I think. My tastes then were simple, and that was reflected in my sandwiches. Now, however, the problem has become what filling to put between what bread, and for which meal. The possibilities go on, and on, because the wonderful thing about sandwiches is that they can be humble or elegant, appetizers or entire meals, do-it-yourself or made-to-order, and still be a thing of beauty.

Start with the bread. Make sure that it is as fresh as can be, and try to match the quality of the bread to the quality of the filling; that is, a hardier bread needs a robust filling, a delicate flat bread begs to show off an equally delicate filling. A very moist filling is going to turn all but the crustiest of breads into bread soup very quickly, while a crumbly oat bread, for instance, will appreciate a not so juicy addition. If you believe that carbs are the enemy, concoct your sandwich open-faced, or turn to a thin wrap to transport fillings and sauces.  

Leftover roasted vegetables, grilled poultry or meats and/or nearly any kind of cheese can be burrowed into a chubby whole grain bun, for a start. An abundance of green beans can become a mock chicken liver paté when blended with herbs, hard-boiled eggs, and walnuts and is the perfect thin spread for a topping of mixed greens. Curried tofu, egg salad enlivened with minced cornichons and capers, chicken salad with grated carrots, or roasted pepper hummus or an herbed white bean paté are just a few more jumping off points for a sandwich.

 Even the simplest meat or cheese sandwich can be transformed by the addition of complementary spreads and salsas.

 Blend made from scratch or out-of-the-jar mayonnaise with fresh herbs and lemon to create a bright addition to the sandwich. A plentiful garden harvest means that a mélange of roasted of tomatoes and peppers (both hot and sweet) becomes a new kind of salsa when diced and stirred into minced red onion, and garlic, with a splash of lemon and olive oil and some cumin. Try it with slices of Manchego cheese.

The marketplace is flooded these days with boutique mustards, and many of them truly raise a sandwich to another level. Habanera mustard, anyone?

Pesto is not just the realm of basil: mix it up by making pesto-like spreads based on cilantro, walnuts, parsley, mint or spinach, all of which add another level of deliciousness to any sandwich.

Fruit, cheese, nuts and seeds, beans, meats, fish, nut butters, poultry, greens and vegetables combine in ways limited only by your imagination. Artfully positioned between rolls, chunks of multigrain, sourdough, or baguettes, or the humble sliced sandwich bread, all have the potential to become the sandwich of your dreams.

Grill it, bake it, broil it, or leave it fresh and raw; any way you cut it, a sandwich is a wedge of satisfaction. Just ask Dagwood.

Grilled Peach And Blue Cheese

For each sandwich:

1 large ripe peach

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 Tbs finely minced fresh rosemary and parsley, combined

1 thick slice of sourdough bread

¼ C baby arugula

2 tsp honey mustard

2 oz bleu cheese (like Maytag or other artisanal variety) or Bavarian bleu cheese

Cut peach in half, remove pit, and place halves in a small glass bowl with olive oil, vinegar, herbs and honey. Turn once and let marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat grill to medium high.

Place peaches flat side down on grill and brush with a little marinade. Grill for about 3 minutes. Turn, brush with marinade, and continue to grill until a fork inserted goes in very easily.

Toast bread briefly on grill. Spread mustard on bread, then top with cheese, peaches, and arugula. If the peaches are very fat, cut each one in half horizontally to make them sit nicely on the sandwich.