More to a sandwich than baloney

It was a dark and stormy night. Would the rain ever end? Would we ever find a good sandwich?

Wait a minute! It was a bright and sunny Saturday and we were on our way to the Greengable Farm Tulip Festival in Philomath, Ore. "Car Talk," our favorite Saturday morning program on NPR, was 10 minutes into the hour.

The show hosts, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, were resolving a caller’s problem, which centered around a quirky car issue, but was heading, as most calls do, into human relations. Tom and Ray’s degrees from MIT, coupled with razor-sharp wit, make them ideal resolvers in both areas.

Jeff from Cambridge was on the line. His co-worker, Cindy, had just called him an idiot for turning her car radio up too loud before the car had a chance to warm up because it would wear out the engine. He said that was stupid and what did Tom and Ray think?

Jeff and Cindy had a bet riding on their answer. The loser was going to owe the winner a tuna salad sandwich from Emma’s Pizza on Kendall Square, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"That must be one good tuna sandwich," said Tommy.

"Oh, they are!" said Cindy.

Well, being a food writer, my mind immediately spun off in culinary directions. Sandwiches. Tuna salad sandwiches.

So what makes for a great sandwich creation?

My entire philosophy of sandwich construction can be stated in one simple thought: No matter what edibles you’ve got lurking in the kitchen, they’re only moments away from becoming a sandwich of some sort.

Starting out with a base of carbohydrate — loosely defined as bread, but more realistically incorporating anything from cracker to croissant to tortilla — I can usually cull at least half a dozen likely filling candidates from pantry and fridge.

The creations first take hold on my imaginary palate, where the flavors, textures and colors of the harvest unite. Then, it’s merely a matter of fine-tuning the process, adding appropriate condiments, cheeses, meats or whatever it takes to round out the offering.

This is what makes the sandwich the perfect anytime meal. It’s adaptability, spontaneity, and in many cases, portability.

As far as that special tuna fish sandwich at Emma’s Pizza goes, what I learned from co-owner, Wendy Saver, is that they ain’t talkin‘!

Seriously, it’s a classic tuna melt, "With a couple of spices that nobody would think to put into a tuna melt," she added.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the tuna salad mixture is spread onto really great-quality sourdough, layered with their very own roasted tomatoes, sprinkled with mozzarella and bacon, then grilled pannini style (meaning, in a special heated press).

Saver says that "Jeff from Cambridge" — who happens to be the traffic guy for a local television station — is truly hooked.

So go ahead and noodle around with that concept and maybe you’ll come up with something pretty fantastic. Meanwhile, here are a few more sandwich concepts to explore. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, Tom and Ray determined that Cindy would be buying Jeff’s sandwich this week at Emma’s.

Maybe they deliver …

A grinder is a hot hoagie. The term first became popular in New England, where grinders are the Boston folk culture equivalent of a Philadelphia hoagie.

Almost any kind of hoagie can be turned into a tasty grinder by wrapping it in foil and baking it for ten minutes (or until the cheese melts).

The following tuna cheese grinder relies on a great tuna salad served in classic grinder fashion.

Tuna cheese grinder

26-ounce cans white tuna in water, drained

1/2cup finely chopped onion

8pepperoncini (pickled peppers), stemmed and chopped

4tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/8teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2tablespoons Brother Juniper’s Chili Peppermash (recipe follows)

3/4cup good-quality mayonnaise

3hoagie rolls or a French baguette

Sunflower sprouts (if available, or favorite sprouts)

6slices Provolone

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the tuna, onion, pepperoncini, lemon juice, black pepper, Brother Juniper’s Chili Peppermash, and mayonnaise; mix thoroughly. Slice the hoagie rolls or baguette and line with the sunflower (or other) sprouts. Fill the bread with tuna salad and then lay 2 slices of cheese over the tuna in each sandwich. If making one long baguette sandwich, use all the cheese. Wrap the sandwich(es) in aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes three grinders.

Brother Juniper’s Chili Peppermash: Wash and stem about 1 pound of fresh chilies (a combination of red or green jalapeno peppers or both, Anaheims, and serranos is nice). Toss the chilies into a blender or food processor, along with 1 3/4 cups red wine vinegar, four cloves of garlic, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Process the mixture to a chunky puree.

Do not pack the peppers too tightly or you may overload your blender or food processor. Step back from the blender when removing the lid as the pepper gas may be released and it will sting your eyes. Also, be careful when tasting this mash as it may be very spicy.

Store the mash in a plastic container with a lid in the refrigerator. It will keep almost indefinitely. It’s great to have on hand for dozens of uses, including marinades and as a table condiment.

Makes about 3 cups.

Recipe adapted from "Sacramental Magic in a Small-Town Cafe," by Brother Peter Reinhart

Foster’s curried chicken salad sandwich

1/2cup sweetened flaked coconut

2cups shredded cooked chicken

1/2red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

1/2green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

3green onions, trimmed and chopped

1/2Granny Smith or other tart apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

1/4cup currants

2tablespoons chopped parsley

1cup Curried Dressing (recipe follows)

8-10slices of a hearty whole-grain or pumpernickel bread

Good quality mayonnaise

Spread the coconut evenly on a baking sheet and toast in a 400 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool.

Combine the chicken, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, green onion, apple, currants, parsley and the coconut in a bowl. Add the dressing, season with salt and pepper, and toss to mix.

Scoop the filling onto four or five slices of the bread. Spread top slice with mayonnaise, and the radish or alfalfa sprouts, then place on top of the filling. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.

Makes four to five sandwiches.

Recipe from "The Foster’s Market Cookbook," by Sara Foster

Curried dressing

3/4cup good-quality mayonnaise

1/4cup chopped parsley

2tablespoons curry powder

2tablespoons honey

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1teaspoon salt

1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine the mayonnaise with the parsley, curry powder, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to mix until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use or up to 5 days. Makes about 1 cup.

Recipe from "The Foster’s Market Cookbook," by Sara Foster

Foster’s toasted chicken Caesar sandwich

Toast slices of sourdough bread and spread with Caesar dressing (recipe follows) evenly on the inside of each slice. Top with slices of grilled or roasted chicken, freshly shaved Parmesan, crisp romaine and freshly ground black pepper. Place top on each sandwich.

This is a creamy dressing that’s quick and easy and keeps in the refrigerator up to one week.

It makes a great sandwich spread, or to sauce grilled or poached chicken breast, or boiled or roasted new potatoes, or as a dip for crudites.

Caesar dressing

2cups good-quality mayonnaise

4cloves garlic, finely minced

2tablespoons of cider vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

1teaspoon salt

1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2teaspoon dry mustard

3/4cup freshly grated Parmesan

Whisk together the mayonnaise, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, black pepper, mustard and Parmesan. Adjust seasonings then refrigerate until ready to use or up to 1 week.

Recipe from "The Foster’s Market Cookbook," by Sara Foster

Cobb sandwich

Use a hearty whole-grain bread and spread one side of each with pesto mayonnaise (recipe follows). Top with slices of roasted turkey or chicken, crispy bacon, sliced avocado, crumbled blue cheese or slices of Swiss cheese, cucumbers and crisp lettuce leaves. And, when they’re in season, add tomatoes.