I’m dishing out a sweet, savory, ooey-gooey sando that’s about to change your day – maybe even your life. This adult twist on a grilled cheese features one of my favorite bounties from a late Oregon summer – fresh blueberries, which also happen to balance out the brie and add a burst of color. Food pics strongly encouraged.
Serving size: Makes two sandwiches
Ingredients
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4 cups fresh blueberries
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1 ½ cup white sugar
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2 tsp. apple pectin
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½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
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2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, finely chopped
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4 thick slices of country bread (mine came from Little T American Bakers)
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A hunk of good brie
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½ cup loosely packed arugula
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Salt and pepper 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Mise En Place
Jam
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4 cups fresh blueberries
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1 ½ cup white sugar
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2 tsp. apple pectin
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½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
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2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, finely chopped
Heat a large sauce pot over medium-heat and add blueberries. Sprinkle sugar and pectin over your berries and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Toss in basil and continuing to cook, while continually stirring, for about 20 more minutes or until all of your berries have popped and the bits are entirely absorbed into the mixture. If you want to test to make sure your jam will hold, place a metal spoon into your freezer as you cook and when you think your jam is ready, simply dip the cold spoon into the mixture. If the jam clings to the spoon, remove your pot from the stovetop and carefully pour your blueberry mixture onto a baking sheet until cool.
You can either jar the jam in sanitized vessels or store it in freezer-safe airtight containers until you’re ready to use. This recipe makes far more than you’ll need for a couple sandwiches, but you’ll be grateful for the extra yield in the winter months when you’re craving Oregon berries. I eat mine on everything from a classic jam and toast to dolloping a bar spoon into my gin gimlets for an extra dimension of flavor. There are no rules here. Just lots of jam.
Sandwich Assembly
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4 thick slices of country bread (mine came from Little T American Bakers)
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A hunk of good brie
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½ cup loosely packed arugula
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Salt and pepper
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4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
On opposing sides of bread, spread a generous spoonful of jam over one slice and distribute slices of brie over the surface of the mirrored slice. Stack arugula over the cheese and season with salt and pepper before marrying the slices of bread into a sandwich. Heat one tablespoon of butter over medium-heat in a large pan and gently place the sandwich into the center of the pan. Cook for four minutes or until the bread turns golden-brown when you lift up the edges with a spatula. Before flipping the sandwich, add another tablespoon of butter to the pan and grill the other side of the sandwich. Remove from your pan and repeat for the second sandwich. Allow to cool for three minutes before slicing and serving. And just like that, you’re honoring a childhood fave in the cheesiest way possible.
Enjoy, friends.
