heavenly
panini... 
There are times when I don't plan a menu and simply like to cook
with whatever is in the fridge! It's a good way to finish up those
extra vegetables and make room for the next trip to the farmers'
market*. Plus it's also a great opportunity to be creative!
It was on just such a day, not long ago, that I created this month's
panini recipe. I had some leftover herb pesto from one of my cooking
classes, a pot of fabulously fresh and delicious goat cheese bought
at my farmers' market a few days earlier (from Sprout Creek Farm,**
a local producer who make some of the most fabulous cheeses I have
ever tasted), a beautiful heirloom tomato (the first of the season,
ripening not in the fridge but in my fruit bowl) and a few tender
greens (in this case, some tangy frisée). I didn't have to think
very long about this one: it came in a flash and I was already salivating!
I have since made this panini many times with whatever bread is
in the freezer. It is equally delicious with sourdough and whole
wheat bread, so I encourage you to try it with whatever you have
on hand. The trick is to cook the panini at medium to medium-high
heat, otherwise the bread will burn before the cheese has melted.
Enjoy this fabulously delicious and healthy treat!
* The Piermont Farmers' Market is held every Sunday, 9:30
am to 3 pm, from early June until Thanksgiving, in the M&T Bank
parking lot (at the corner of Ash Street and Piermont Ave, right
in the center of the village). For more info call Miriam Haas at
(914) 923-4837.
** Sprout Creek Farm, 34 Lauer Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603.
Tel: (845) 485-8438 www.sproutcreekfarm.org.
Your can visit their stand at the Piermont Farmers' Market every
Sunday.
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For the pesto
1 small clove garlic — skinned
8 sprigs Italian parsley — stems trimmed
12 large basil leaves
4 fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon capers — drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (use microplane grater)
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the panini
8 thin slices sandwich country French, sourdough or whole wheat
bread
4 oz aged fresh goat cheese
2 medium ripe tomatoes — cut in 1/8" slices
1 small handful frisée or baby chicory or baby arugula leaves —
rinsed and spun dry
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for the pan
Step 1: For the pesto, place all ingredients in the bowl
of a food processor. Mix at high speed with a steel blade until
it forms a paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber
spatula, and process until the pesto is creamy. Transfer to a bowl.
Step 2: Spread a small amount of goat cheese on 2 slices
of bread. Spread 1 tablespoon of pesto on one of the slices. Top
with a few tomato slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Top with a few leaves of frisée and the second slice of bread. Press
together firmly to seal the sandwich. Repeat until you have made
4 paninis.
Step 3: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan to medium/medium-high
heat. Add the oil and spread it evenly over the whole surface of
the pan. Add the paninis and sauté 2 to 3 minutes on each side until
golden brown and crispy. Alternatively, if you have a panini machine,
brush the bread with olive oil and cook the panini according to
your machine's instructions. Serve piping hot with a green salad.
© 2007 viviane bauquet farre — food & style NY LLC
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