Recipe inspirations can hit in several ways – they can arise out of cravings or ingredients available at hand. Our friend Tanya’s inspiration for this Epic Tomato Sandwich came from the name and the sweet flavor of our Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes.
When you think of sandwiches, your head might go straight to the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the crusts cut off that was the star of your lunch bag every day in elementary school. It might go to the grilled cheese sandwiches your mom used to make on a cold, rainy day that you would dip in a hot, steamy bowl of tomato soup. As an adult, you might still pack a sandwich in your lunch to bring to work, but maybe you don’t put much thought or effort into it. Come on, you can do better than that!
With the birth of social media and subsequently self-proclaimed foodies, the art of sandwich making has become extremely popular. No longer are we bound to boring old standards from our childhood, we can craft and devour the most glorious of gourmet creations.
The first tip in the art of sandwich making is selecting the perfect bread. You need a canvas to build that masterpiece on, so choosing a bread that is going to elevate your sandwich is key. Think artisan, sourdough, ciabatta – whatever you would eat on its own straight out of the package you bought it in, is probably the best one for you.
The second tip is selecting premium ingredients to fill your sandwich – like our Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes. We hand-select only the most vibrant fruit in limited quantities to give you a sweeter snacking experience. Some say they’re a Tiny Taste of Heaven™.
The third tip is selecting a gourmet spread to dress up that sandwich. This might be as simple as taking your go-to mayonnaise or mustard and adding a touch of sriracha or some honey to get it to that next level. Just be sure to use it in moderation – too much can make a sandwich soggy or overpower the premium ingredients you selected as your fillings.
Finally, in the art of crafting a sandwich, architecture is key. Just like an architect would never build a building without blueprints, you should never make your gourmet sandwich without a plan of how you’re going to build it out. If you place some of your fillings in the wrong spot, you can risk them slipping out and ruining your sandwich experience.
To make this epic sandwich, Tanya first seasons the tomatoes with salt, pepper, onion powder and dried basil. She heats some oil in a pan and adds the seasoned tomatoes. She sautés them over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing frequently, until the tomatoes are just softened. She stresses that you don’t want to overcook them because you don’t want them to become mushy. The cooking process for the tomatoes does not stop when you take them off the heat. If you see the skin cracking, that’s your cue to remove them. Transfer them to a plate and let them cool.
While the tomatoes are cooling, cut all the veggies. You can shred or cut the carrots into matchsticks, slice the cucumbers into thin round slices, remove the stalks from the beetroot greens and shred the cabbage. Set those aside in separate groups to make assembling the sandwich easier.
For the cream cheese spread, you’ll want to make sure that the cream cheese is room temperature to make it easier to work with. Place it in a bowl and whisk it well. Add salt, pepper, onion powder and dried basil and mix it well.
Now you are ready to start assembling! Grab 2 slices of your favorite bread and spread a generous amount of the cream cheese spread on each. Start layering the veggies.
Tanya’s Tips for Layering:
- Put the shredded veggies on the bottom-most or top-most layer. The cream cheese spread will hold them and prevent them from falling.
- Cut the carrots the same length as the bread slices.
- Make each layer as flat as possible to prevent the delicious layers from falling out.
- If you want to wrap your sandwich in parchment paper, put it under the first bread slice before you start layering and just wrap it around once you’re done.
This sandwich would be perfect for a healthy option for a picnic, lunch, or light dinner. You can pair it with some of our other snacking veggies like our Uno Bites™ Nano Cucumbers, Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers or even with extra Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes
To make this premium sandwich that will put any PB&J to shame, you can find the recipe here.
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