Ja cię kocham…

This year I am absolutely determined to create my own veggie garden.  There is nothing better than fresh, beautifully ripe vegetables pulled right out of the garden.  They taste so much better than those that come from the grocery store.  Jay and I were thinking about investing in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), but the upfront costs are not very appealing.  The part that is appealing is driving 5 minutes to an organic farm and picking your own fruits and veggies for the week, and the fact that we would be supporting local farmers.  I cannot WAIT until the local farm stands open back up.  I pile on the fruits and veggies for mere dollars.  But I also want to just walk into my pea-sized backyard and pick piles and piles of veggies.

Giada De Laurentiis the host of a few Food Network shows made an unbelievable grilled vegetable, herb, and goat cheese sandwich on her show Giada at Home.  My mouth instantly began to water as I watched her mound eggplant onto sun-dried tomatoes, onto basil, onto goat cheese….  This sandwich literally uses most of my favorite foods!  I could not wait to make it.

The sandwich is filled to the maximum so make sure that you have parchment paper to wrap tightly around this masterpiece.  It’ll prevent you from losing any goodies from your sandwich.  )

I made absolutely no alterations to this baby.  It was PERFECT.

Grilled Vegetable, Herb, and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

Source: Giada at Home

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 zucchini, ends trimmed and discarded, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
2 Japanese eggplants, ends trimmed and discarded, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
1 (12 1/2-ounce) baguette, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
1 cup (6 1/2 ounces) goat cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups baby spinach

Directions:

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, tarragon, thyme, salt, and pepper. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture in a medium bowl. Add the zucchini and eggplant and toss until coated. Place the vegetables on the grill pan or grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until tender.

While the vegetables are cooking, spread the olive oil mixture on the baguette halves. Using a spatula spread the goat cheese over the olive oil mixture. Place the cooked vegetables on the bottom half of the baguette. Arrange the spinach on top of the vegetables. Place the top half of the baguette over the filling.

To serve, cut the baguette into 4 sandwiches. Serve immediately or wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.