Grilled Strawberry, Basil & Cheese Sammich

I’ve got an almost embarrassingly easy recipe for ya.

It’s simple, seasonal and totally satisfying.

Strawberries from the farmers market.

Basil from my backyard. (Obviously, you’ll need to get your own basil …from your backyard…not mine :))

Cheese from a local farm.

Throw it all on the bread of your choice, heat it up to melty perfection and enjoy.

Grilled Strawberry, Basil & Cheese Sammich

Materials

• 4 slices of bread ( I used Ezekiel Sesame)
• ~1/2 cup strawberries, chopped
• ~ 4-6 ounces smoked cheddar or jack, sliced
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• handful of fresh basil

Methods

1. Chop strawberries and marinate with balsamic for ~15 minutes. If you’re short on time, no worries – 5 minutes will do. If you have all the time in the world, then by all means, let them sit for half an hour.

2. Slice cheese into manageable pieces and tear basil into smaller pieces (depending on your leaf size). No need to get precise here. Place a small amount of cheese on two slices of bread. On the other two slices, layer the remaining cheese, basil and strawberries.

3. On an oiled skillet heated to medium heat, place the sandwich halves. Cook until cheese has just started to melt (~3 minutes or so). To speed up the melting process, I place a lid over the pan during this phase.

Join slices together and cook for another few minutes, or until slices are lightly browned on the outside and cheese has melted.

4. Cut sandwiches in half, admire their gooey-ness and either eat immediately or wrap up for a picnic.

Results

Yum yum yum.

What’s not love about grilled cheese? In particular grilled cheese with fresh, seasonal ingredients?

These sammiches are even better when enjoyed on the local village green …

listening to live music….

and shared with this guy….

(Don’t forget a big bottle of water to wash the deliciousness down :))

Off to enjoy some beautiful sunshine on this fine Saturday!