How to Make a Hillcrest Veggie Sandwich

Tay Stratton, Fennel & Fire

This morning I walked to the Hillcrest Farmers Market. Luckily, I grabbed a tote & camera at the last minute. Boy, did I need both! The colors and sights were spectacular. I found lemon cucumbers, zucchini the size of a football (we plan on grilling it tonight with Balsamic Sea Salt and Balsamic vinegar), baby zucchini and bumpy squash. I grabbed some white radishes; I can eat radishes like chips when I dip them into our Pacific Sun Sea Salt & Paprika or just Hickory Salt.

Stopping at one of the market booths, I saw a beautiful white, country loaf of bread where a young girl told me the story of the Shakers' Daily Loaf…in the bag it goes with all the vegetables...I’m thinking french bread with cinnamon and nutmeg tomorrow morning.

Earlier, I had run across some white cheddar cheese from Honeysuckle Lane. Wanting to wait to purchase the cheese until I was leaving, due to the hot summer day, I missed my opportunity as they had already closed down by the time I was walking back. Remembering who I was, the sweet lady offering the cheese was kind enough to unpile her table and chairs on top of the cooler to get me some of this wonderful looking cheese. To my embarrassment, I only had $4 left to give her for the $5 cheese. One dollar short, she said, "hey just pay me next time…Im here every Saturday". What kind Southern hospitality!! So if any of you are at the Hillcrest Farmers Market next weekend, could you please give the lady at Honeysuckle Lane a dollar for me??!!??

After venturing home, unloading my goods and checking out the awesome photos I took… hunger overtook me. What to have? Well hello dear, you just got home with all these wonderful veggies and goodies.

So what do I do? I make the very best Hillcrest veggie sandwich ever! I sliced the zucchini & squash into poker chip size slices. Did a flash saute with olive oil, coarse ground rainbow peppercorn, Sel Gris Sea salt and a dash of worschestor and

I mean a flash saute…so the veggies

stayed nice crunchy ( like a 90 sec flash).

Next, I sliced two pieces of the country

bread, slathered butter on both sides and

grilled them to a nice golden brown crunch.

Once I flipped the bread to grill the other

side, I added the cheese so it would melt

just ever so slightly on the golden brown

surface.

Next comes the fun…Building the sandwich.

I stacked the flash sautéed veggies, the

poker chip size cucumber, and coin size

radishes- though I saved some for a side.

Then comes the part that makes this the ultimate! I sprinkled some of our Picasso Vege Seasoning and like the fine artist, we had us a fine Hillcrest Farmers Market veggie sandwich for lunch.