Ingredients:
2 slices whole wheat country bread or 1 5-inch square focaccia, sliced in half laterally
¼ cup sautéed mushrooms
¾ ounce Gruyère cheese, cut in thin slices
2 to 3 tablespoons blanched kale
½ ounce arugula, tossed with 1/2 teaspoon vinaigrette
1 heaped tablespoon parsley pesto
Spread the bottom slice of bread with parsley pesto. Top with the sautéed mushrooms and top the mushrooms with the kale. Lay the cheese over the kale. Place both slices of bread in a toaster oven, or toast in cast iron skillet. Toast until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Remove from the toaster oven or skillet, top the melted cheese with the arugula, place the top slice of bread on top, press down hard, cut the sandwich in half, and serve warm.
Parsley Pesto
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, halved, chopped
1 cup, tightly packed, flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 tablespoon, tightly packed, mint leaves, coarsely chopped
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Salt to taste, freshly ground pepper
Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Alternatively, mash with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Add the parsley and mint to the food processor (or to the mortar and pestle) and process until finely chopped or grind to a paste. With the machine running slowly add the olive oil and process until the mixture is smooth (or slowly work into the mixture using a mortar and pestle). Stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cheese. Pulse to combine.
Note: This keeps for a week in the refrigerator and doesn’t lose its bright color.
Recipe adapted from NY Times Cooking, photo credit for prepared sandwich photo: Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times. Original recipe can be found here