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AAA Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Over the last five years I’ve grown some great crops in my three-style garden. I have my raised beds, all five of them, four Earth Boxes, and a strip of dirt along the fence that separates our neighbors driveway and ours. It’s the raised beds that jump into action first into the new growing season and the crop is mostly greens. I usually plant 8-12 kinds of greens and they do well in the cooler spring weather in planting zone 7 where I live. With an abundance of Arugula last year the AAA Grilled Cheese Sandwich was born.
A basket of greens from last year’s crop.
Once the greens get going I have more than my wife and I can eat so I give away plenty. I also look to use them in new ways. When salads weren’t enough to use up the Arugula I started piling it on sandwiches bursting with green goodness. While the AAA Grilled Cheese Sandwich is no low-fat sandwich, I find it a great lunch item to have once or twice during the few short weeks my Arugula crop is putting forth gobs of great greens. Arugula is full of vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. So whatever the fat content of this sandwich is would be offset, somewhat, by the health benefits of Arugula.
A raised bed with Arugula and other greens from last year
It’s simple as can be to make with just five ingredients, Arugula, avocado, Asiago cheese, oil or butter for the grilling, and whatever your favorite bread is. Just follow this easy recipe and enjoy one of the best greens out there.
2 slices of sandwich bread for each sandwich
2 teaspoons olive oil or butter for each sandwich
2 slices Asiago, or your favorite cheese
½ sliced avocado for each sandwich
1 handful of arugula for each sandwich
Brush olive oil on one side of each slice of bread and cook, oil side down with cheese on top, on medium heat in a cast iron skillet, or similar frying pan. In 3 minutes rotate bread 180 degrees to achieve even browning and cook for 3-4 minutes or until nicely browned.
Top with arugula and avocado, close it up and cut in half if desired before gobbling it up like it was the best sandwich ever!
Note: If you toss the arugula in a bowl with a bit of Italian Dressing, before piling it on the sandwich, it packs even more flavor.
A slice or two of fresh tomato would be great with this sandwich. Problem is they have distinctly different growing seasons and are usually not available at the same time in home gardens.
One of the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
Carrying on a salad themed stretch I made this Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad for a perfect summer starter. After all it has been hot here in Baltimore, and when it is hot and humid I like to spend as little time in the kitchen for dinner preparation as possible. Yesterday it hit 92° and with high humidity felt like 110°! There is no relief in sight with more of the same or hotter today and tomorrow.
However, this seems to be fine with my tomato crop as long as I remember to water it. We have gotten away with a milder summer so far and I’m very thankful for that. For you lucky folks in Texas you know about heat, and have been getting your share this summer. With this kind of heat I try and do what some people call “planned overs”, not leftovers. This method of food planning call for cooking some extra of whatever is called for the day before and using the next day to shorten prep time. In this case I cooked three extra ears of corn to use in this salad.
I had some surprise “volunteer” cilantro to use in this salad as well as plenty of my home grown tomatoes from my garden. I also picked a cayenne pepper for the heat component and bought the avocados from my local Costco. I was all set to put together one of my favorite types of salad, a spicy one with corn.
stir gently
I was introduced to Kastania Greek olive oil, a high end extra virgin blend from the southern province of Laconia, at a tasting on Friday in Kennett Square, PA. I liked it right away but the more I use it the better it tastes to me. It has a smooth, almost buttery taste that is perfect for this salad. Using local Maryland Silver Queen corn this sweet and spicy salad is delicious.
Next time you cook up a batch of corn-on-the-cob be sure to cook three extra and try this recipe out. I’m sure it will please even the most discriminating eaters. To make it a bit more special I’m giving away a bottle of Kastania extra virgin olive oil to one lucky reader. All you have to do is comment on this post to be entered. If you comment on my Facebook page you will get an extra entry. Just go to www.Facebook.com/
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
3 cups cooked corn
1 cup diced tomato
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or parsley
1 firm avocado cut into bite sized pieces, see note
2-3 tablespoons chopped chives or onion
juice of one lime, about 1-2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 jalapeño minced, optional
salt to taste
In a 4 quart mixing bowl mix all ingredients except avocado.
Gently mix in avocado.
Add salt to taste and serve right away or chill for an hour or two.
Serves four to six.
Note:
If your avocado is too soft it breaks down a bit much but you can still use it if you stir it in very gently.