Green Goddess
Looking forward to the spring season, I wanted to make something fresh and not processed. All I could think of was sitting outside on the porch watching the sunset, eating a sandwich and drinking lemonade. When my boss brought in arugula to work with, I knew what I had to do. This sandwich uses only the freshest of ingredients and you don’t even need meat. With its crisp taste of cucumber to its juicy crunch of tomato, this green goddess hits the spot for a perfect spring meal.
Ingredients: The Bojon Gourmet
Green Goddess Mayonnaise (makes enough for 4-6 sandwiches):
1/3 cup packed basil leaves
1/3 cup packed chopped green onions
2 medium-large garlic cloves
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
Pickled Spring Onions (makes enough for 4-6 sandwiches):
1/3 thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, lightly crushed
Per Sandwich:
2 slices wheat bread ( you want something earthy)
1/2 of a small, ripe avocado, sliced
2 fat slices fresh gouda
1 medium-sized tomato, sliced
1 long, thin slice of cucumber
several slices pickled onion
a handful of arugula
Directions:
Green Goddess
Making the Mayonnaise:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients except for the lemon juice (i.e. the basil, green onion, garlic, lemon zest, salt and mayonnaise). Puree smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the lemon juice. Chill until needed.
Green Goddess
Pickle the onions:
Green Goddess
In a medium-sized jar, combine the onion slices, vinegar, sugar, salt and peppercorns. Put the lid on the jar and let sit for at least 10 minutes, shaking a few times to dissolve the salt and sugar. Use immediately or refrigerate until needed, up to 1 week.
- Make sure you use something that has a secure lid. You don’t want to accidentally shake vinegar all over.
- I prefer to pickle using a glass jar; this is not necessary.
Assembling the Sandwiches:
Green Goddess
Spread both slices with a thick layer of the mayonnaise. Top with the avocado, gouda, tomato, cucumber, pickled onion and arugula. Sandwich with the other slice of bread and press down gently. Optionally, wrap the sandwich in parchment or secure with two toothpicks and slice in half with a sharp, serrated bread knife or chef’s knife.
- You want to make sure your sandwich doesn’t slide around when you are cutting it, so make sure you hold it in place to cut.
Green Goddess
The Green Goddess is a perfect way to end your day. This spring, bring something fresh to your table. The simplicity alone will have you wanting more. There is nothing like sitting down to a perfect sandwich. Something about it brings back childhood memories, though these fresh ingredients will make you feel like a true adult, turning an ordinary sandwich into an extraordinary meal. Whoever said simplicity is overrated hasn’t sunk their teeth into this Green Goddess.
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