2 Vegetable Summer Sandwiches

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Well, it's summer and if you haven't been doing like you're mother told you to, eat your vegetables! Their bright, crisp and crunchy and currently at your local farmers. Available while supplies last.

If you're looking for something to do with all those vegetables popping up at your market or grocery store (or maybe from your garden!), there is no finer place to put them than between two slices of bread.  If you've read this blog before you know my respect for sandwiches and you know my respect for fresh vegetables. Not that anything's wrong with a meat-filled sandwich. In fact, I think I just declared one of those the best sandwich in the world (if I may be so bold). But a vegetable sandwich, when done properly, can be a welcome and satisfying change. Start with good vegetables and good bread. Leave the vegetables as they are (like in the first sandwich below) or saute them up before adding them to the sandwich (like in the second).

The first sandwich, a bagel sandwich (hey, I'm in NYC... not that I wouldn't eat a bagel sandwich half way around the world) has fresh crunchy vegetables atop a classic cream cheese shmear, finished off with a little oil and vinegar. The addition of capers to this sandwich gives it a nice briny zing. For the second, rainbow chard and zucchini are sauteed in olive oil, then grilled between two pieces of pizza bianca (like focaccia) with goat cheese.

Whether you want fresh and crunchy or smooth and creamy, both these recipes are sure to please your breakfast, lunch or even dinner sandwich cravings this summer.

Recipes below.


Bagel Vegetable Sandwich

Toast a bagel. Spread on cream cheese. Add sliced avocado, radish, tomato, and cucumber, green onion and a crunchy lettuce leaf. Top with capers, olive oil, salt and pepper. Eat at once.

Makes 1 sandwich

Chard, Zucchini and Goat Cheese Panino

-3 tablespoons olive oil
-1 clove of garlic, minced (or better, garlic scapes) 
-1 large zucchini or summer squash, thinly sliced
-15 large chard leaves, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
-3 tablespoons goat cheese
-squeeze of lemon juice
-salt and pepper
-4 sandwich sized slices of pizza bianca, focaccia, or other bread such as cibatta or baguette 

-In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and then the zucchini. Saute the zucchini until it is cooked most of the way through, 10-15 minutes. Add the chard and continue cooking until everything is cooked, another 5 minutes or so. Add the lemon and season well with salt and pepper.

-Lay out your 4 slices of bread. On two of them, divide the goat cheese evenly and spread. Divide the vegetable onto the sandwiches on top of the goat cheese. Close the sandwiches and grill on a panini press or on a skillet as you would a grilled cheese. Eat at once. 

Makes 2 sandwiches