Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Panini with Goat Cheese & Cherry Chutney

I promised there would be talk of the sandwiches we made with our delicious Maple Brined Cherrywood Smoked Turkey. And I can't leave you in suspense any longer.  After all, these little morsels were so stellar that you're going to want to try them out for yourself just as soon as you have some of your own Thanksgiving turkey leftovers on hand.

Before we get to the details of the sandwiches themselves, I'm going to take the opportunity to put in a plug for this cherry chutney recipe, which is quickly becoming one of our all-time favorite condiments.

Though it might not be quite as traditional as your usual cranberry sauce, I'm going to challenge you to consider making up a batch to put right out there on your Thanksgiving table.  It's tart and delicious.  And it goes perfectly with turkey. And stuffing.  It's also delicious spread on one of those dinner rolls you're bound to have left over.

Which brings me to the sandwich at hand.  These little beauties make use of leftover dinner rolls, one of the holiday staples that seem to get thrown out more than re-heated.  So, I like to think that these sandwiches are born of thrift.  They're also super fast to throw together, which makes them the perfect dinner for one of those busy weeknights that become inevitable as the holidays draw closer.

Since the goal here is to make you hungry, let me give you a quick glimpse into the sort of sandwich I'm talking about.  Just imagine a crisp, warm panini-pressed sprouted grain dinner roll spread with a liberal amount of fresh goat cheese, dolloped with cherry chutney and topped with delicious smoked turkey and fresh arugula.  Sweet-tart, tangy, smoky, peppery -- all of these flavors come together in glorious harmony as you bite into this crisp little slider.

Reminiscent of the holidays, but definitely more than just a repeat, these delicious snack-sized sandwiches are sure to please. The best part  is that, since they're small, you can even gobble up more than one.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Eat well. Enjoy family and friends.  We'll lift our glasses to you at our holiday table!

Post-Thanksgiving Panini with Goat Cheese & Cherry Chutney

 
©BURP! Where Food Happens

End of Summer Corn and Arugula Salad

Just the other day, a friend of mine from Seattle commented on our participation in the local eating challenge. "You can do that in October?" she exclaimed, "In Wisconsin?!?"

I understood what she was getting at. The Wisconsin growing season is relatively short in comparison to some. But, here in Milwaukee we reap the benefits of being close to Lake Michigan, which offers the added advantage of a bit of insulation from frost. So, early October can bring a fairly wide array of garden delights. In fact, many of us are still reaping the harvest from our gardens into late October and early November. And many farmer's markets in our area are actually open and active well into November.

But, I was a bit surprised to find a farmer at the West Allis Farmer's Market this past Saturday who still had a nice, healthy batch of sweet corn to offer up. Not quite as eager as we were earlier in the season, we decided that it might not be a bad idea to buy up a bit of corn, grill it, and pack it away in the freezer. After all, grilled corn is a real treat when the bitter winds of February are blowing! So, we picked up an armload of corn.

We also grabbed a nice bunch of arugula from our friends at Jen Ehr Farm. We shouldn't pick favorites, but the good people at Jen Ehr are some of the best at the market. They're bright, and friendly, and their produce is simply top notch.
After making a quick dressing from a bit of mayonnaise, some Zemo garlic (which seems to be a nice, mild variety just right for eating raw), a bit of lemon, some buttermilk, some cayenne and black pepper... I stirred it together with a few chopped radishes, part of a red onion, and some of the corn.I tossed the arugula in -- and then plated everything up, tossing a bit of crumbled gorgonzola on top at the last minute.
Sweet, peppery, cruncy, and delicious. I couldn't be happier with how this concoction turned out. This really is the sort of salad that I want to eat on a cool, October day.
Looking back, I'm thinking this would make the perfect chopped salad to serve alongside a nice grass-fed steak. But, I could also see it paired with a bit of protein as something more akin to main dish fare.
Either way -- enjoy!
End of Summer Corn and Arugula Salad

©BURP! Where Food Happens