Pickled Pear and Irish Cheddar Toasties in a Bread Basket

Little grilled cheese and pickled pear snadwiches stuffed inside a hollowed out bread loaf on a green plate

Little toastie sandwiches, filled with melting Irish Cheddar and piquant pickled pears, are (adorably) presented right in their own hollowed out bread loaf. This recipe makes 2 pints of sweet and tangy pickled pears perfumed with caraway and bay. You won’t need that much for the toasties, so you’ll have pickled pears in your fridge for a month, if they last that long! Enjoy them with cheeses and charcuterie, in salads and sandwiches, or as a tasty snack. Makes 8 toasties; serves 4 (because everyone will want 2!) Caraway Pickled Pears 2 medium ripe or slightly underripe Bosc pears 1¼ cups apple cider vinegar 1 cup water 6 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons caraway seeds 2 bay leaves For the Toasties 1 unsliced loaf of hearty whole-grain sandwich bread (AKA a “Pullman” loaf) 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, Continue reading

Shaved Ham and Pear Sandwich with Brie Cheese

After a long winter of baking, soup-making, and braising, picnic season has finally arrived! We headed out to the gorgeous Hood River Valley last weekend to enjoy the nice spring weather and I created this delightful ham, pear, and brie sandwich to take along and celebrate the occasion. Based on the traditional French sandwich of shaved ham, butter, and soft cheese, my version has added firm-ripe pear slices and a thin layer of honey mustard for texture and sweetness. Wrap the sandwiches in butcher or parchment paper and take them packing or slice them into smaller lengths to serve as an appetizer at your next gathering. We enjoyed these sandwiches on the sunny patio of a winery in Lyle, Washington overlooking the Columbia River. The next morning, we drove from Hood River to Portland via Highway 35, where we saw Continue reading