These tartines (open-faced sandwiches) have become a staple in our house … in fact, they were our Christmas morning brunch this year. The cool thing is, they come together in about five minutes if you have some braised kale on hand; 15 or so if you’re starting from scratch.
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This is inspired by my favorite vegetarian sandwich at Chez Lulu, a cafe and bakery in Birmingham, Alabama. I love the combo of thinly sliced sweet pear with pungent goat cheese, lightly dressed greens and toasted nuts. I used a plain version of our Knead-less Olive-Rosemary Bread, but any type of whole grain bread will do the trick.
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Buy a little extra salmon the next time you’re fillet-shopping and cook it all up at once. The next day, pair the cold leftover fish with a hit of lemon-spiked mayo and briny capers for a fancy-looking salmon sandwich that’s perfect lunch for one.
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I had a fantastic sandwich from Cowgirl Creamery while in Point Reyes, CA, this weekend that reignited my love of sandwiches … in particular, topless ones called “tartines.” I made this one with leftover Red Hawk from my visit, along with luscious figs picked up en route. Drizzling the fig with honey and popping it under the broiler gives it an impromptu jammy quality; especially good paired with gooey cheese and crisp prosciutto.
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Lately, I’ve been working with a client who has me come to their office several days a week. It hasn’t taken long to get reacquainted with the midday conundrum that bedevils office workers everywhere: What’s for lunch? If you haven’t packed something to eat you’re at the mercy of whatever is nearby.
I’ve already tired of the eateries in the surrounding neighborhood and find myself gazing enviously at coworkers who had the foresight to bring lunch from home. When my boss offered me a sample of her homemade stuffed grape leaves recently–made with leaves from the vines in her garden, no less–only propriety kept me from grabbing the container and scarfing them all down. After searching NOURISH Evolution’s archives, I’ve come up with five tasty possibilities for my own lunch box:
Asian Turkey Salad. Lia created this one to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but it would work just as well with chicken. If you’re firing up the grill over the weekend, throw on some extra chicken to use in this recipe, or shred the meat from a supermarket rotisserie bird (just make sure it’s organic). Pack the dressing separately from the rest of the salad so it stays crisp until lunchtime.
Devilish Egg Salad. An egg-salad sandwich on toast is an old-school classic. This version comes together in a flash and would be a hearty repast on toasted whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato or, as Lia suggests, tucked into lettuce-lined pitas.
Open-Faced Tomato Avocado Sandwich. As easy to pull together as a PBJ, yet luscious with peak-season tomatoes (Lia’s favorite are big, fat slices of a Kellogg’s Breakfast tomato) and creamy avocado, this simple sandwich is tough to beat. All you need are the fixins’ from home and a toaster oven in the office.
Chicken Pate with Brandy. This is a personal favorite that takes me back to childhood, when my mom sent me to school with chopped liver-on-rye sandwiches. That combination would still satisfy, though I’d if I were feeling fancy-schmancy I’d nibble the pate on crackers with mustard and cornichons.
Radish and Goat Cheese Baguettes. As long as you have the fixings on hand, you could throw this together on the busiest mornings. It’s also ripe with possibilities for improvisation–add sliced cucumbers or beets, or swap the goat cheese and arugula for Gorgonzola and radicchio.
If I brought any of these to work, my lunch would be the envy of the office.
How do you get creative with your brown bags?
A po’ boy is a New Orleans sandwich traditionally made with deep-fried oysters (another sustainable seafood pick) or shrimp. In N’awlins’ lingo, these po’ boys are served “dressed” with lettuce, tomato and seasoned mayo. Look for U.S. farmed tilapia, as the most sustainable choice; otherwise, substitute domestically raised catfish.
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This avocado and tomato sandwich embodies all sorts of nutritional virtues: whole grains, healthy fats and fresh vegetables. But really it does even more than that . . . it exemplifies how enjoyable even the simplest fresh food can be.
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Everything about this sandwich makes me happy. The radishes–so vibrant and colorful–come straight from our back yard, the bread from our local bakery, and the goat cheese from grazing goats just a few miles away. Even the olive oil comes from a local producer. The radish offers a peppery hit that’s lovely against the creamy, pungent cheese.
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