Who’s looking for a bit of inspiration for lunch? I am! I was particularly excited to see this month’s Bon Appétit magazine arrive with ‘What’s for Lunch?’ on the cover.
I was also excited to see March’s issue arrive for a completely different reason. It was announced last fall that Bon Appétit was getting a new editor-in-chief, Dawn Davis. This was her first full issue in her new role. While I don’t know Dawn personally, we attended Immaculate Heart High School, a wonderful all girls school in Hollywood, CA. Dawn was a senior when I was a freshman. It brings me joy knowing that a fellow Panda is at the helm of a magazine that I’ve been subscribing to for a long time. I’m excited to see where Dawn takes Bon Appétit.
Dawn’s opening to her first Editor’s Letter resonated with me. “I collect friends who love to eat like a serious wine enthusiast collects rare vintages. If you don’t want to plan the day around what you’re eating next, I’m not sure we can hang. When my friends and I aren’t hunting down reservations, we’re cooking for one another.” Yes! I feel the same way. It is not at all unusual for me to be planning my next meal while I’m appreciating the one I’m eating. Enjoying a meal with family and friends (either in our homes or at a restaurant) is what I miss most from our pre-pandemic world.
My husband is a carnivore and enjoys his deli meat sandwiches. Given all the dining at home that we’ve done over the last year, we’re also looking for a bit more variety so I’ve been trying out some new things. This sandwich is a variation of what’s on this month’s cover of Bon Appétit. It wasn’t an actual recipe – more a suggestion of what ingredients work well together. Feel free to adapt to your tastes.
While you can use thinly sliced raw red onions, if you have about 45 minutes (or more) before you plan to make your sandwich, take the time to quick pickle a red onion instead. It satisfies the need for crunch in a sandwich without leaving you with a lasting raw onion taste.
Then start with some good bread as a base – I had a baguette in the freezer from La Baguette Magique in West Chester, PA (they bake using non-GMO/small batch flour so I’m able to eat it.) A nice hearty multigrain bread would work well, too. Add a layer of ripe avocado – mashed up a bit with a fork so the slices don’t slip off the bread. Sprinkle the avocado with some good sea salt. Then add a layer of pickled onions followed by lightly dressed greens (I used arugula dressed in Peggy’s Vinaigrette) and top it off with a sharp cheddar cheese (such as Kerrygold Vintage Dubliner Irish Cheddar Cheese). Lots of good flavors paired together in a satisfying vegetarian sandwich.
What interesting things are you preparing for lunch these days? Please let me know.
| Cheddar-Avocado-Pickled Onion Sandwich | Print |
- ½ medium red onion
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoons honey (see Notes)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¼ baguette
- ½ ripe avocado
- 1 tablespoon pickled onions
- Handful of lightly dressed greens (such as arugula or kale) (see Notes)
- 1 to 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into thick slices
- Sea salt
- Thinly slice red onion.
- Place onion slices in a 1-pint mason jar or similar heat-safe container.
- In a small saucepan, combine water, distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper flakes (if using).
- Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Carefully pour mixture over onions in the jar. Use a spoon to submerge onions.
- Let pickled onions cool to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes). At this point they should be sufficiently pickled for serving.
- Cover and refrigerate remaining pickled onions.
- Quick-pickled onions are best consumed within three days, but they keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
- Slice baguette lengthwise.
- Spread avocado over bottom half of baguette, top with pickled onions, dressed greens, cheese and top half of baguette.
* You can toss your greens in a bit of olive oil and lemon juice or any vinaigrette you like. Peggy’s Vinaigrette works great.
Source: Variation on recipes from Bon Appétit, March, 2021 and Cookie + Kate
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