Consider a Sandwich With a Cheese Board.
I recently had one of those dinner conundrums where the only things rolling around in my fridge were tumbleweeds and a few mismatched condiments. I didn’t have the wherewithal to make an egg sandwich, but I did have some awkward leftovers from a cheese plate – jams, nuts, cheese, mustard. I admit I had my doubts, but sometimes taking risks pays off. I present to you: the cheese board sandwich.
A cold, sharp cheddar sandwich with blackberry jam enlightened me. (Sure, I was crazy hungry, but it was really damn good.) Unlike the grilled cheese sandwich, this sandwich only had cold or room temperature ingredients. The cheddar was sharp, salty and strong, while the jam was sweet, earthy and smooth. With the spongy ciabatta holding it all together, each giant bite I devoured was better than the last.
At first I was surprised by the combination, and then I realized, oh, of course – any combination that you eat in bite-sized pieces on a cheese board will be amazing in large portions like an entire sandwich. What is a cheese board if not a set of ingredients that make the perfect, most delicious and most attractive piece of texture? My advice is that instead of delicately balancing each sentence on a tiny, weak cracker, stuff the whole thing between two large slices of bread.
A good sandwich just requires a balance of flavors
The combinations are limited only by the choice of cheese board accessories. Like a cracker, your sandwich bread is a vehicle for any tasty snack you can put on top: cheese, jam, tapenade, honey or mustard. Add pieces of fruit, fresh or dried, as well as nuts, pickles or olives.
I toasted a couple slices of ciabatta, but you could use a baguette, bagel, or regular old soft wheat slices. Now it’s time for the hardest and most fun part: combining the flavors. Consider combining two or three parts of the five tastes: salty, sour, bitter, sweet and umami. Try salty Parmesan chunks with sliced sweet pears and candied pecans on your sandwich. How about black olive tapenade with ripe figs and manchego? Top the roll with blue cheese, toasted walnuts and dried apricots and drizzle with honey.
At first glance, you may not have the most ideal dish in your refrigerator, but don’t give up. I bet you can make a great sandwich with ingredients that don’t make sense on paper. When you think about it, a cheese board sandwich makes sense. And yet, there are many ideas that limit what makes a sandwich a sandwich . Does he need meat? Do you need cheese or salad? Are nuts allowed? It seems foolish to look for limitations. If he takes a good bite of the cracker, it makes a fantastic meal between two slices of bread.