Veggies from your nearest farmer's market make for the most delicious sandwich.
(photo by Jenn Harris)

Sandwich Time!
 
One of my favorite things to eat ever, is a sandwich.  I love all of them. Take two slices of bread, give me any type of filling and I'm set! From sardines to egg salad to ham and cheese, the combinations are endless, but sometimes I like to keep it super simple.  This week's sandwich craving was all about the vegetables. 

I took a trip to my local farmer's market and checked out the local produce.  I found some gorgeous portobello mushroom caps, sweet Roma tomatoes, fresh asparagus and tender zucchini. Next to one of the produce stands was a bakery booth.  As I walked by, the smell of freshly baked bread was too much to handle.  I spotted a crunchy ciabatta loaf and couldn't resist. After 10 minutes at the farmer's market I already had the makings of a perfect sandwich.
 
When I got home, I took the vegetables and grilled them in an iron grill skillet with some extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.  I layered the vegetables onto two pieces of the ciabatta bread and added a slice of Swiss cheese. 

I could have eaten the sandwich at that point but why not make it irresistible? I don't own a panini press but I thought I'd improvise.  I put the sandwich onto my grill pan and weighed it down with a large pan, making my own panini press.  I grilled the sandwich until the cheese was melted and the bread was crispy.  The asparagus, juicy tomatoes, and zucchini make the perfect sandwich, and the portobello is meaty enough to alleviate the need for any actual meat.  The melted cheese makes the sandwich rich and gooey, while the panini press gives the bread a satisfying crunch.
 
Grilled Vegetable Sandwich
 
Makes 1 Sandwich
 
Ingredients:
1/2 Roma tomato
1/2 zucchini
1 portobello mushroom cap
5 asparagus
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 ciabatta bread roll
1 slice Swiss cheese
 
Directions:
 

Take the tomato and zucchini and slice them into strips that are about 1/2 inch thick. Leave the portobello and asparagus whole. Place all of the vegetables into a bowl with the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Toss, then place the vegetables on a grill pan on medium/high heat. 
Grill the vegetables until they are soft and have nice grill marks.
 

Take the ciabatta bread and cut it in half.  Layer the vegetables on a half of the bread and top with a slice of Swiss cheese.  Place the top of the bread on the vegetables and move the sandwich to the hot grill pan.  If you have a panini press, use it, but if you don't, take a large pan and use it to weigh down the sandwich. Grill the sandwich until the cheese is melted completely.  Enjoy!!!