Veggie, Veggie, Quite Contrary...How Does Your Garden Grow?

Good morning gang!

On this week's Menu Plan Monday, I told you I would share my sandwich "recipe". It's really not a true recipe, because like with any sandwich, you can mix things up. Doc Lancelot and I lived in Memphis for 5 years. This was the time before we had our children, so we were able to sample restaurants quite often. One Saturday, we thought we'd venture out and skip our favorite, "Fino's", and go to Young Street Deli. I got a veggie sandwich that was to die for. It was hot, but had crunchy cucumbers and sprouts in it. I kept thinking about that sandwich and how to make it at home. So this is the sandwich we came up with and we've been making it for 12 years now!

I like to buy all my ingredients the day before or the day that I make the sandwiches. I use mostly organic veggies and bread. I'll tear up some Taco Bell, but want organic vegetables. Go figure!

Like I said....use what ever ingredients you like, but here is what I put on my sandwich.

• The most time consuming part of the sandwich is chopping/slicing all the vegetables. You could do this in the morning and put paper towels and plastic wrap on it, or have your significant other or a friend help chop while you enjoy a glass of wine. I'm just sayin'.
• I use the following: fresh spinach and/or lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli or alfalfa sprouts, multi-color carrot shreds, sliced avocado, pitted Kalamata and green olives, sliced red peppers, mushrooms (sometimes-not a big fan of raw mushrooms), purple onion, sliced cucumbers, and salt and pepper. Doc Lancelot sometimes puts a little salami or ham on his and also a little mayo and Creole mustard.
• Here's everything washed, and ready to go. I put everything on paper towels to absorb the moisture after washing. I don't like soggy bread or watery vegetables.

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• I use some sort of baguette or my favorite, sesame semolina. Cut in sandwich size portions. One thing I would recommend, and I didn't do this time, is if your bread is really thick like the sesame semolina, I would scoop out the center of the loaf, because the sandwich can get pretty thick. Even with my big ol' mouth, I can hardly bite it when all the ingredients are on there. With the smaller baguettes, you should be fine just slicing and adding ingredients.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put sandwich halves on baking sheet. I spread one side with goat cheese, and the other size with roasted red pepper hummus, then top with shredded Colby Jack cheese. Bake about 7-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. You don't want to cook too long, or the bread will be really tough.
  
  
  You can skip this step and not toast the bread, but I like mine all melted and gooey.

Check out this bad boy when it's all put together.

My favorite sandwich in the whole world!!!

*This would be a great party idea.

Just put everything out, have different types of breads,

and let your guests make their own "signature" sandwich.

If you try this, let me know what you think!