Grilled Persimmon, Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Basil
Cheese sandwiches have long been one of my favourite lunchtime snacks. The most basic version features dark German bread, thin slices of young hard cheese, cucumber, salt, and crushed pepper, you could call it my first sandwich creation, born in my early childhood days. But over the years I got a little more experimental: various fruits sneaked in to add their sweetness to ripe cheese, soft cheese, or blue cheese. Mozzarella di Bufala or ricotta are great to bring in some creaminess, and sometimes, I like to take whatever herb or vegetable my eyes catch in the kitchen and turn it into a runny pesto or smooth dip to dollop lusciously on a crusty bun.
When Leerdammer asked me to create a cheese sandwich for them, I decided to go back to my sandwich roots and think about what a great sandwich should be. I always say that I prefer to focus on a few strong flavours rather than distract my taste buds with too many ingredients. It's all about the right play of contrast and harmony, in taste and texture. I like Leerdammer for its mild and nutty taste, it's almost sweet, and it melts fantastically under the broiler. A grilled ham and cheese sandwich felt like the perfect choice but another German sandwich classic came to mind: Toast Hawaii. This child-pleasing creation was a hit in my early sandwich years, pineapple and ham covered in cheese on a slice of toast and grilled. People loved it, including myself. I like pineapple but the market has far more to offer at the moment, so I went for honey-sweet persimmon. The fruit has to be ripe and soft as jelly, in combination with the ham and melted cheese, it almost felt like jam, or a chutney without the sourness. A few basil leaves sprinkled on top give it the spring feeling that I crave so much and make this sandwich feel light and fresh.
Grilled Persimmon, Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Basil
Makes 2 sandwiches
rustic white buns, cut in half, 2
ham 4 thin slices
large ripe persimmon, peeled and torn into chunks, 1
Leerdammer cheese 4-6 thick slices
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
fresh basil leaves 6
Set the oven to broiler or preheat to the highest temperature.
Divide the ham between the bottoms of the buns. Lay the persimmon on top and cover with the cheese. Grill the sandwich in the oven until the cheese starts melting and sizzling, mind that the cheese doesn't burn or slip off the fruit. Sprinkle the grilled cheese with crushed pepper and basil, close the bun, and enjoy.
Blue Cheese Omelette and Rosemary Prosciutto Ciabatta Sandwich
An especially luscious sandwich for an especially fun occasion: Anna from Pinterest asked me to join their March Breakfast Campaign with an eat in my kitchen sandwich board on my profile. After 65 creations on the blog dedicated to all the delicious culinary wonders that can possibly happen between two slices of bread, it's time to give the sandwich the attention it deserves.
I started my Pinterest profile around the same time as the blog, in winter 2013, to spark my own inspiration but also to share all my finds from the wide spheres of the web. All the wonderful dishes from all over the world that tickle my taste buds, the kitchen pictures that made me want to remodel parts of my own creative culinary space a couple weeks ago, and the endless great ideas you can find for interior design, fashion, architecture, gardening and traveling. I enjoy the time that I spend on this network as it gives me useful information directly connected to the original creator, that's fantastic! So, if you've followed my Sandwich-Wednesdays over the past 15 months and you're looking for a summary, and some more great recipes from other sandwich lovers, you can take a look at my new Pinterest Sandwich board here!
The celebration of this amazingly easy (most of the time) and highly loved snack called for a voluptuous recipe that combines a few ingredients which almost guarantee a scrumptious result: blue cheese, omelette, rosemary prosciutto and rucola on oily ciabatta bread. The sharp cheese definitely takes the egg to another level, even if you want to leave out the bread, you should try this duo one day. Rosemary prosciutto is my all-time favourite ham, thin slices of the finest Italian art of butchering refined with the woody herb, this is perfection made complete with the slight sweetness of the light and fluffy eggs and the salty cheese. It can't get any better when it comes to the easy enjoyments at table!
Blue Cheese Omelette and Rosemary Prosciutto Ciabatta Sandwich
For 2 sandwiches you need
medium ciabatta bread, cut into 2 pieces, 1
organic eggs 3
heavy cream 50ml / 1 3/4 ounces
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
blue cheese, crumbled, 50g / 1 3/4 ounces
Italian rosemary prosciutto, very thinly slices, 2-4 large slices
butter 1 tablespoon
olive oil 1/2-1 teaspoon
rucola, a small handful
fresh rosemary, a few sprigs, for the topping
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, for the topping
Whisk the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a pan and pour in the egg mixture, scramble very lightly and fold onto itself. When the bottom side starts to become golden flip it around. Brown it lightly from the other side for about a minute. Take the pan off the heat and sprinkle the blue cheese on top of the warm omelette.
Cut the ciabatta pieces in half and brush each bottom half with a little olive oil, lay a few rucola leaves on top. Divide the blue cheese omelette in half when the cheese starts to melt and lay on top of the green leaves. Sprinkle with a few rosemary needles and pepper and cover with the rosemary prosciutto. Close the sandwich and enjoy!
A hearty Raclette, Ham and Rosemary Sandwich
It's time for a hearty sandwich again! Imagine rich and aromatic cheese melting on top of slices of rustic ham in between a crusty bun!
I could have stopped at that point but I wanted to go a bit further. My cheese of choice was a French raclette which is so strong in taste that it can take a few more flavours on the side. I warmed up some olive oil with a few sprigs off my rosemary plant for a woody infused oil to brush the inside of the buns. The spongy softness soaked it all up and kept a soft hint of the herb. If you like to have a bit more than a hint - like me - you can also sprinkle a few of the cooked green needles over it which merge perfectly with the cheese. My obligatory coarsely crushed black peppercorns shouldn't be missing as they add a hearty spiciness, the kind that brings out the best of the rich raclette cheese.
If you're up for a more extensive sandwich project you could also bake my mountain buns, they would fit perfectly!
Raclette, Ham and Rosemary Sandwich
For 2 sandwiches you need
rustic buns, cut in half, 2
slices of ham 2-4
thick slices of raclette cheese, rind cut off, 2-4
rosemary needles, a small handful
olive oil
black peppercorns, coarsely crushed in a mortar, to taste
Cover the bottom of a small sauce pan with olive oil, add the rosemary and put on a high temperature. As soon as the oil and herbs starts sizzling, take the pot off the heat immediately and cover with a lid. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes before you brush the inside of the buns with the oil. Put 1-2 slices of ham on the bottom half of each bun and cover with the cheese. Roast under the grill for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt and turn golden brown. Mind that the cheese doesn't slide off. Sprinkle with pepper and the cooked rosemary and close the bun. Enjoy!
