Lazy Days and Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Lazy Days.

Well, for some of us. The others have been very busy.

Construction projects of the IMPORTANT kind.
 (No Stimulus Money was used to build this sand castle)

Look at the attention to detail

Yes, that is a crab claw sticking out of the sand wall (ahem)

These sandwiches pack beautifully. So grill the vegetables the night before, assemble them in the morning and find yourself a sunny beach to enjoy lunch. 

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches: (makes 4 sandwiches)

One eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices (the long way, not rounds)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

sea salt

4 slices provolone cheese*

4 slices cheddar cheese*

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 cup mixed greens

4 Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats (100 calories and 5 grams of fiber!)

Marinate eggplant in balsamic vinegar for 5 minutes. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until soft. Sprinkle with sea salt, place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. 

To assemble sandwiches:

Place one piece of each type of cheese* on bottom slice of bread. Top with 1 slice eggplant, grated carrots and mixed greens. Drizzle a little more balsamic dressing on the greens and top with last slice of bread. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and pack in a cooler. 

Kowabunga! 

*use your favorite cheese, swiss, munster, asiago.. it's all good! 

Last Day for Autumn Giveaway!!

Comment by today at midnight EST on Autumn Giveaway Post for a chance to win a Yogotherm from New England Cheesemaking, complete with enough enzymes to make 70 pounds of soft cheeses.

For complete post and official rules:

Autumn Giveaway Post

Check back Sunday for winner!!!

Candlepin Bowling, Ashfield and Lemon Brussel Sprouts

After dinner one night at Martin's Cafe in Shelburne Falls (Pumpkin Martinis, Haddock Almondine, sweet potato puree, homemade ice cream).. we decided to check out the 100 year old bowling alley in town. As kids both TBHITW and I had bowled in Saturday morning leagues. But neither one of us had ever seen bowling pins or bowling balls like these.

Click to enlarge to see pins

The bowling alley shoe lady told us that back when bowling was invented there were two versions of bowling. The one we are familiar with that uses big balls with finger holes and bowling pins that look like this:

And Candlepin Bowling that uses small balls and pins that look like this:

Seems that Candlepin Bowling is a Massachusetts favorite!

Anyway, TBHITW and I decided to give it a try. What fun! You get three balls per frame and the pins don't reset between throws so you get a lot of pin action from the fallen pins. It is much harder than "regular" bowling and scores are pretty low. At least they were for TBHITW... I am happy to report that The Good Cook beat him all three games. Maybe it was the two Pumpkin Martinis with dinner?

Anyhow... the next day was MY big day - Cheesemaking Workshop with Rikki Carroll in Ashfield.

There are two distinct properties in Ashfield (population: densely settled) and if you are looking for either one you can't miss them. One is the General Store and the other is Rikki's house, home of New England Cheesemaking:

The house is eclectic and extraordinary as Rikki herself. The workshop was awesome - I learned so much and have already made several of the cheeses and some Greek style yogurt using the techniques I learned that day. I've been hinting to TBHITW that I may need a cheese cave added on in the future.. what are the odds of that happening?

Anyway, my New England postings wouldn't be complete without one more picture. This is Shelburne Falls library... if this was the library in my town I would go every day.

Brussel Sprouts get a bad rap. No one ever liked them as a kid and as adults many people still carry that distaste around with them. Brussels are all over the markets right now, fresh, bright green and packed with nutrition. Pick yourself up a basket and try them this way:

Lemon Brussel Spouts with Pistachios:

One basket of brussel sprouts (about 10)

1/2 lemon, juiced and zest removed

1/4 cup shelled pistachios (unsalted if you can get them)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

Cut the bottoms off the brussel sprouts and separate all the leaves. This takes a little time but you want brussel sprout leaves, not bundles.

Heat the oil and butter in a medium saute pan. Add the brussel sprouts and saute over medium high heat. Add the lemon juice and continue to saute until sprouts are beginning to wilt. Add the lemon zest and pistachios and toss around to heat the nuts.

Season with salt and a few good grinds of pepper. (if you are using salted pistachios, omit salting or taste to test.

Serve piping hot and don't tell me you don't like brussel sprouts again.

Being "Home" and Philly Cheesesteaks

Being back in Pennsylvania brings back many memories and of course with all my siblings here we have been doing our share of reminiscing. Yesterday on the way to the pharmacy to pick up my dad's pain medicine for his trip home I even drove through some of my old neighborhood haunts.

Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. No?

All this nostalgia made me think of Philadelphia Cheese steaks. Here's an ex-pat's updated version of the classic Pennsylvania sandwich:

Not So Philly Cheese steaks: (makes 4 sandwiches)

1 pound hangar steak (also known as skirt steak)
1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia)
4 ounces blue cheese crumbles
A-1 Steak Sauce
4 Portugese rolls (or your favorite hard sandwich roll)
2 teaspoons olive oil divided
Salt and Pepper
1 tablspoon melted butter.

Heat Grill to Medium High
Trim steak of any extra fat or have your butcher do it.
Rub with 1 teas. olive oil, both sides
Rub all over with Salt and Pepper
Set aside.

Meanwhile slice onion thinly. Heat remaining teaspoon olive oil in saute pan and add onions. Slowly, sweat the onion (very low heat) until soft, then turn up heat a bit and cook until golden.

Split rolls and brush inside top and bottom with melted butter.

Grill steak about 4 minutes per side for medium. When done, tent with foil and let rest.
Place rolls, butter side down on grill and toast about 60 seconds.

To assemble:

Slice steak thinly, on the diagonal. Place 1/4 of meat on bottom of 1 roll. Top with blue cheese crumbles, then onion, then a drizzle of A-1 steak sauce. Repeat with other 3 sandwiches.

Serve with chips and an ice cold beer.

A Cook's Notes: I did not give you the "classic" recipe for a Philly Steak Sandwich because there are hundreds of variations and an ongoing war as to who has the "best", who made it first, and whether you need cheese (what kind), onions, the proper roll, sauce, etc. Suffice it to say I wouldn't even call this a Philly Cheese Steak OUT LOUD for fear of insighting a riot.

If you don't like blue cheese, try cheddar, provolone, swiss or american, but for the love of God, please don't call it a Philly Cheese Steak or even mention where you got the recipe. If you want an honest to goodness, authentic, Philly Steak - go to Philly, just don't ask me to choose the sidewalk stand, I'd like to come back to PA.

ps: If you don't believe me as to the controversy surrounding the Philadelphia Cheese Steak - google it. You will find the history, the ingredients, the authenticity [reputted] and everything you ever wanted to know about this sandwich. Pennsylvanians are serious about this sandwich!