Monday, August 10, 2009

Grilled Tomato Sandwich with Blue Cheese Spread for Blue Monday


David Fankhauser


Jon Sullivan





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our oldest daughter and her husband slipped away for a few quiet days at the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon this past week. Our treat for entertaining the children while they were gone was a selection of cheeses that included a wonderful blue cheese from the Rouge Creamery in southern Oregon. That happened to coincide with the beginning of our heirloom tomato harvest and a freezer filled with wonderful artisan bread and brioche. I'd been hoarding a recipe I found in the Seattle Times from "Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express" for a grilled sandwich that contained thick sliced tomatoes and a blue cheese spread. This was an ideal time to try it. I can happily report I'm glad I did because this is a wonderful nosh. Here is the base recipe for one sandwich. I'm sure you'll want to adapt this to your own tastes, but the original recipe is a delight.

Grilled Tomato Sandwich with Blue Cheese Spread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:

1/4 cup blue cheese
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1/2 to 1 teaspoon milk
2 slices good-quality, crusty bread
2 to 3 slices ripe, red tomato
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
1) Mash blue cheese, cream cheese and chives with just enough milk to make it spreadable. Smear a thin layer on each slice of bread. Top with tomato slices, salt and pepper and put bread together to make a sandwich.
2) Heat skillet and add butter. Swirl around pan until melted and pan is coated. Place sandwich in skillet and cook a couple of minutes, until toasted on one side. Press down sandwich gently with a spatula and turn. Cook until golden and gooey.
3) Cut on diagonal and serve hot. (If you're making more than one, assemble them on a baking sheet, brush with melted butter and broil on both sides.). Yield: 1 sandwich.

I'm linking this to Smiling Sally for her Blue Monday event.

34 comments :

Drawn to The Sea said...

Wow, that sounds fabulous. I'm suddenly quite hungry & think I'll wander off to find a tomato.

Happy Blue Monday :-)
Julia @ Drawn to the Sea

Rechelle ~Walnuthaven Cottage~ said...

I grew up with blue cheese and tomatoe sandwiches !!! This is very much like my mother used to make for me. Ohhhh, scrumptious!
Thanks for jogging a wonderful memory and reminding me that I love them so!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Mary, this sounds like a fabulous sandwich. I adore tomatoes and blue cheese. What a nice and easy combination. A real winner.
Sam

Hootin Anni said...

I pass on the bleu cheese!! Ewwwww. But the sandwich looks heavenly. Maybe some provolone or something to substitute? No? It probably wouldn't be the same.....Bud would love this.

Happy Monday Mary.

My Little Space said...

I juz love this simple nice treat especially with bread & cheese! All I need is a cup of coffee.

Puna said...

This looks wonderful Mary.

Katy said...

Aren't your little ones so good to eat blue cheese! That's terrific that you are introducing them to such assertive flavors while they are young!

This sandwich sounds divine! My Ole Sweetie-Pi wouldn't eat blue cheese on a dare (or a threat LOL) but I would love this.

Becky K. said...

We are trying our hand at heirloom tomatoes this year. So far they keep getting some kind of rot on the bottom. They are not even touching the ground. Not sure what is up with that.

Your sandwich looks like a treat!

Becky K.

NKP said...

That sounds absolutely divine, I love blue cheese and tomatoes.

Cathy said...

A scrumptious sandwich, Mary. And what a great way to use the fantastic tomatoes that are ripe now.

Rogue Creamery is in the booth next to me at my farmer's market. Big trouble. I can't leave it alone.

Jaynie said...

This looks delicious. Two stong clean flavors together. This will be a refreshing sandwich at the end of a hot day.

Cindy said...

I'm hungry! It looks delicious! I'll definitly try this recipe.
Cindy

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Oh, Mary! This sounds heavenly. Now I am officially starving. I haven't eaten yet, and it's getting late in the morning for breakfast so maybe I'll go straight to lunch. I would have to go to Publix first for those wonderful ingredients. ;-)

Happy Blue Monday...

XO,

Sheila :-)

petite nyonya said...

I think this is a perfect healthy sandwich when you just don't feel like having anything heavy at all. It looks really delightful.

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

You might be the only one who twist my arm to try this. I don't care for raw tomatoes and I'm not a fan of bleu cheese. you make it looks so good!

ItaJeff said...

Yummy!
Happy Blue Monday
♥Ita

Southerncook said...

Oh my, this looked like heaven on a plate. I will try this very soon.

Carolyn/A Southerners Notebook

Dee said...

sounds tasty, though i have not quite come around to blue cheese yet. i might try this for lunch, but with goat cheese instead :)

Coloradolady said...

Interesting combination. I love tomatoes but I am not sure about the Blue Cheese....maybe a substitution for the BC would work...either way...it has made me hungry.

Happy Blue Monday.

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

This looks so good. I have fresh tomatoes from my garden and will be trying this.

Maria said...

Summer tomatoes from the garden are the best!

theUngourmet said...

Mmm! There is almost nothing better than homegrown tomatoes with blue cheese! So Good!

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

This looks delicious. The neighbor brought in some tomatoes the other day for us and there are a few left.. I'm going to try this for lunch.. thanks so much for sharing..
hugs ~lynne~

Pam said...

That sandwich looks amazing. You can't beat home grown tomatoes and tasty blue cheese.

B Merrick said...

I have a feeling I am going to be adding a little bit of bacon to this right before my head explodes from it's deliciousness! Thank you!

SmilingSally said...

Ooo, heirloom tomatoes... the name alone congers up memories of good eating. Thanks for sharing. Happy Blue Monday.

Nicole said...

That's an awesome summer Lunch idea - thanks :D
YumYum...!

ellen b. said...

Hi Mary! That sounds like a wonderful nosh for sure. My husband and I enjoy blue cheese so I'll have to surprise him with this :0)
Happy bleu to you!

Chef Fresco said...

Tomato sandwiches are my dad's absolute favorite. That blue cheese looks absolutely amazing!

LK- Healthy Delicious said...

that looks amazing! i wouldn't have thought to make a delicious spread like that - I would have just thrown the cheese right on. And it would not have been nearly as good.

MyThoughtsMyVoice said...

I don't think blue cheese is very common here in my place. It must be some kind of a special cheese. My mouth is watering at the sandwich you made LOL

happy Blue Monday!

Li

MyThoughtsMyvoice said...

I don't think blue cheese is very common here in my place. It must be some kind of a special cheese. My mouth is watering at the sandwich you made LOL

happy Blue Monday!

Li

Deb in Hawaii said...

What a wonderful grilled cheese--great flavors!

Sasha said...

Wow this sandwich is beautiful! What a great idea to use blue cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich instead of the plain yellow kind : D

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