i recently read tyler kord’s a super upsetting cookbook about sandwiches.
it was kind of amazing and included combination’s such as roasted cauliflower/smoked french dressing/raisin relish/potato chips, or meatloaf/pho-flavored mayo/mint jelly/pickled bean sprouts/peanuts. and then there are the iconic quotes such as:
i would grate it on the large holes of a box grater. if you don’t have one of those, you could julienne it, shave it all up with a peeler, or take tiny bites of it and drop them from your mouth into a bowl, like a mother bird feeding her baby birds.
i think tyler kord is probably my food and also sense-of-humor soulmate, maybe, but having not yet actually tried any of his recipes, this post isn’t even about him, so more on this later. i just wanted to point out that um…i really love sandwiches? yeah, admittedly that’s the point i wanted to make because i read this book and was reminded that sandwiches are good.
so here’s one of my favorite sandwiches that i’ve actually eaten. anna jones is another of my favorite cookbook authors. her recipes are vegetarian and not quite as out-there as some of kord’s inventions but she definitely knows how to experiment with flavors. and she has a new book out this month just in time for my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
she has a uniquely pleasing way of wording her recipes, like,
chop the tomatoes into shapes and sizes that make the most of their own individual beauty
that makes cooking from her books such a calming experience.
and here, from her book, “a modern way to cook”, is one of my most-favorite out of all my favorite anna jones recipes. definitely one of the best sandwiches i’ve ever eaten. the combination of subtly sugary carrots and zesty kale/sundried tomato/lemon “smash” is a nice gateway into what i’m sure i have in store for me when cooking from the aforementioned super upsetting cookbook. i would recommend food-processing your kale smash, rather than attempting the mother-bird-feeding-her-babies method, but either way you can make a big jar of the stuff and keep it in the fridge for a week’s worth of lunches. enjoy!
-kara
- a handful of kale
- 7-8 sun-dried tomatoes (the kind that come packed in oil)*
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 medium carrot, finely sliced
- a squeeze of honey
- 2 slices of good sourdough bread
- 1 tbsp hummus **
- a handful of lettuce leaves (such as little gem), shredded
- combine the kale, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tbsp olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor. process until a thick paste forms.
- cook the carrot in a small pan over medium heat with the honey, a splash of olive oil, and a pinch of pepper until just softened.
- toast the bread, then spread one slice thickly with kale smash and the other with hummus. arrange the carrots on top of the hummus, top with lettuce, and sandwich together.
*the original recipe calls for 2 sun-dried tomatoes. but i’m a big fan of those little guys so i uh…quadrupled that amount. you can do it either way!
**i think red pepper hummus works well with this sandwich, but you can use any kind you like/have on hand
Love the recipe and your illustrations are both beautiful and mouth-watering.