Friday, August 27, 2010

Food Friday: Tomato, Basil, Provolone Sandwich

At this point in the garden season, nearly every meal at my house features fresh tomatoes.  I especially like grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches and  I devised this version to use some of the basil also growing in my garden.  It's become my new go-to sandwich because it is yummy.
The ingredients are simple:
- sourdough bread
- sliced fresh tomato
- a pile of freshly washed basil leaves
- provolone cheese, thinly sliced
- salt, pepper, and dried oregano
- soft butter for grilling

I use a heavy duty grill pan for all of my grilling.  To make this sandwich, heat the pan on medium heat, toward the low end of medium.  You don't want the bread to toast so quickly that the cheese fails to melt.

Assemble the sandwich as follows:

On one slice of bread, layer a couple slices of cheese.  Then add the sliced tomatoes in a single layer and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano.
Add a layer of the basil leaves; be generous with these so that you'll have the taste of fresh basil in every bite.
Add two more slices of provolone and the second slice of bread. 
 Butter both sides of the sandwich and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side; remember to keep the heat on the low side, so that the cheese has time to melt without burning the bread.
When the sandwich has been removed from the grill, let it set for about 1 minute.  Then slice it in half and enjoy!

1 comment:

Nichole said...

That look awesome! But honestly, I've had enough tomatoes to last me through the winter.