In which I Redeem the American Lunch
I have never been a big fan of the sandwich. I cannot in my heart of hearts accept it as either beautiful or fine. Most sandwiches involve mayo, which I detest, or peanut butter, which I crave exactly four days a month but otherwise detest at least as thoroughly as mayo. Since going vegetarian I have relished sandwiches even less, since the ones I did like back in the day involved tuna or salami. What good vegetarian sandwiches are there? Egg salad is messy and generally better eaten with a fork, cheese is only appropriate if grilled open-faced, and fake meat I can tolerate but not with any regularity.
The real problem, though, isn't the filling, it's the bread. I dislike most bread. When I was a child my dad was terribly concerned that I wouldn't grow because of my self-imposed Celiac Sprue (he also worried that my chin was too pointy). I only like bread if it is soft on the inside, chewy at the crust, relatively fresh and utterly free from chemical crap. I didn't actually realize these were my requirements until I went on my trans-fat jihad and discovered that trans fats appear in most commercial breads and that that's probably why I didn't like them. Then I went through a bread-baking phase, which yielded two decent challahs and about 15 stony lumps that refused, mockingly, to take on the consistency of an earlobe (desirable for baking). I blame the Davis water.
So what's a girl to do if she wants to brown-bag her lunch and can't always rely on leftovers from the night before? The sandwich is such an elegant solution to the portable meal. I decided that I needed to stop whining and be more creative. Just because the rest of the world is eating ham and mayo on Pepperidge Farm squares doesn't mean my sandwich has to be gross. There's lots of things that I only like when I make them, like pesto. So I dug in, and today I announce success. The summery sandwich I made myself for lunch is so tasty and satisfying that I'm posting it. Jeff's not the only one who can throw together a recipe, though following it might depend on your proximity to a California farmers' market:
The Peacenik Sandwich
Two slices not-fake, not-gross peasant bread
Two glops Black Bean Hummus
One half a yellow cucumber (leave the peel on, it's not bitter)
One handful sunflower greens
1 oz. crumbled feta
freshly ground black pepper (legally required in all non-dessert recipes)
1. Spread hummus on both pieces of bread. Thinly slice the yellow cucumber and arrange it on Side A.
2. Mince the sunflower greens and sprinkle them on Side B, along with a light dusting of feta and black pepper.
3. Mush.
4. Cut in half.
5. Revel.
The real problem, though, isn't the filling, it's the bread. I dislike most bread. When I was a child my dad was terribly concerned that I wouldn't grow because of my self-imposed Celiac Sprue (he also worried that my chin was too pointy). I only like bread if it is soft on the inside, chewy at the crust, relatively fresh and utterly free from chemical crap. I didn't actually realize these were my requirements until I went on my trans-fat jihad and discovered that trans fats appear in most commercial breads and that that's probably why I didn't like them. Then I went through a bread-baking phase, which yielded two decent challahs and about 15 stony lumps that refused, mockingly, to take on the consistency of an earlobe (desirable for baking). I blame the Davis water.
So what's a girl to do if she wants to brown-bag her lunch and can't always rely on leftovers from the night before? The sandwich is such an elegant solution to the portable meal. I decided that I needed to stop whining and be more creative. Just because the rest of the world is eating ham and mayo on Pepperidge Farm squares doesn't mean my sandwich has to be gross. There's lots of things that I only like when I make them, like pesto. So I dug in, and today I announce success. The summery sandwich I made myself for lunch is so tasty and satisfying that I'm posting it. Jeff's not the only one who can throw together a recipe, though following it might depend on your proximity to a California farmers' market:
The Peacenik Sandwich
Two slices not-fake, not-gross peasant bread
Two glops Black Bean Hummus
One half a yellow cucumber (leave the peel on, it's not bitter)
One handful sunflower greens
1 oz. crumbled feta
freshly ground black pepper (legally required in all non-dessert recipes)
1. Spread hummus on both pieces of bread. Thinly slice the yellow cucumber and arrange it on Side A.
2. Mince the sunflower greens and sprinkle them on Side B, along with a light dusting of feta and black pepper.
3. Mush.
4. Cut in half.
5. Revel.
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