It's Always Better Between Two Slices of Bread

     When you're a kid is there anything better than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?  Maybe peanut butter and banana, or peanut butter and honey, or maybe all three!  Then there's grilled cheese.  Ooey, gooey goodness packed between two slices of grilled, buttered bread.  What we learn young is that when you put it between two slices of bread, its almost always better.

     I remember a time when my family didn't have much  money and we had to stretch our culinary skills by making something out of whatever it was we had in the kitchen.  In this particular instance, delving into the fridge brought out italian hard salami, dill pickles and mustard.  It made a sandwich that was actually quite good.  One might think that all those sour and savory ingredients would over power you, but, at least that night, a pickle and salami sandwich was a hit.

     Now I like to hide vegetables in grilled cheese for my little guy, Ryan.  Yesterday we had a grilled cheese with spinach puree in it.  He seemed to enjoy it and didn't mind the spinach one bit.  My sister takes whole leave spinach and sautees it in a little vinegar, salt and pepper, and then puts it on a grilled cheese.  She serves it with Campbell's canned tomato soup, but if you add a little fresh basil to it right before you serve it, suddenly you're eating a gourmet lunch.

     The great thing about sandwiches is that there are so many choices.  First, there's the bread.  You could go with traditional white sandwich bread (but to me that's a little boring) or you could go with wheat.  There's honey wheat, whole wheat, multi-grain, split-top wheat, just to name a few.  Then of course you have rye, pumpernickel, sourdough, and brioche, just for starters.  Each bread has its own personality.

     Let's not forget flat bread, pitas, and naan. Subway has started featuring flat bread, while not always a lower calorie option is a nice change of pace.  Flat bread also makes great paninis and is a hardier container for hot ingredients or even saucy components.  When I worked at my family's coffee shop I loved experimenting with panini ingredients.  One of my favorites was a roast beef sandwich that I put on the flat top with some peppers.  A little worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and fresh ground black pepper added just a little bit of kick.  Add a piece of provolone cheese and fresh tomatoes before putting it on the grill so the tomato just gets a little bit of heat.  Too hot and the tomato will turn mushy and fall apart.  You can add a piece of lettuce after taking it off the heat, but I happen to not be a fan of warm lettuce.  Pita bread can easily be substituted in for the flat bread.  Sandwiches are really about what you have handy.

     In the summer sandwiches are more about all the great produce that is available.  Vidalia onions, when available, make a fantastic sandwich.  You really want a light bread like a white sandwich bread or a french bread (I like the crustiness of the french) for an onion sandwich.  Mayonnaise, salt, and pepper is really all you need with a nice thick slice of Vidalia onion.  They are so sweet they really make the sandwich.  Liverwurst is a nice addition to add a little bit of salty savoryness to an onion sandwich and many a night my family and I have made that dinner with a nice bottle of wine or beer.

     All of these sandwiches are leading up to my sandwich today.  I literally had a dream about this sandwich and I think I may have woken up with drool on the pillow.

2 pieces of honey wheat bread, toasted

3 pieces of turkey bacon

handful of alfalfa-clover sprout mix

fresh sliced tomato

fresh sliced cucumber

romaine lettuce

1 tsp (approx) fresh chopped basil

1/2 tsp (approx) fresh chopped oregano

1 tbsp olive oil mayonnaise

Stir the herbs into the mayonnaise and then spread it on one slice of bread.  Put the sprouts right on top, it helps them stay in place.  I used turkey bacon, but I think 3 slices of real bacon cooked nice and crispy would elevate this sandwich tremendously.  I also put a little salt and pepper on the tomatoes because, well I like it that way.

I'd also like to brag that I went out my front door and picked the herbs from my garden.  Go me!

     The moral of the story is have fun with sandwiches.  I haven't found many foods that can't go in or on a sandwich.  I'd really like to hear about some of your favorite sandwiches!