The humble BLT.

I love BLTs. My Dad made them for us all summer long when we were kids and my brother and I would try to outdo one another with towering, Dagwood-size sandwiches. It's all been said before, but the salty bacon, sweet tomato, cool lettuce, creamy mayonnaise, and crunchy toast are an absolutely delicious combination that bring me back to childhood.

That being said, I don't actually make this classic sandwich all that often. I guess other things tempt me and I lose track of time. Before I know it, the delicious summer tomatoes are gone and the pallid, rock-hard specimens that fill grocery stores the rest of the year are back. Those tomatoes don't exactly inspire me to make a sandwich that largely relies on tomato flavor.

However, I was moved to make myself a BLT this week after reading the editor's letter in the new issue of Bon Appetit. I'll first admit that although I read many food magazines I almost never read the editor's letter. It has to really grab me for me to stop flipping through the ads, searching for content. "Best. Sandwich. Ever." followed by a picture of a beautiful sandwich? I was hooked.

The next thing I want to confess is that I was a jilted Gourmet reader. Gourmet was my favorite food magazine ever. When Conde Nast suggested Bon Appetit was a suitable replacement I was not pleased. I subscribed to Bon Appetit at the time but it never really inspired me like Gourmet. However, Bon Appetit recently got a new editor and if you feel like something's been missing since the loss of Gourmet I highly recommend giving Bon Appetit a try (thought I would never say that). The writing is good, the stories are interesting, the pictures are beautiful (more about the food, less about the food sculptures and landscapes of yore), it's a truly inspiring publication. Have you seen the August cover? That pie had me swooning the moment I laid eyes on it.


Just trust me. Before the summer's over, get a ripe tomato, some crisp lettuce, and a great bread and make this sandwich. I'll even give you directions: 1.) Lightly toast 2 pieces of artisan bread, 2.) fry up a few slices of bacon, 3.) spread mayonnaise on the bread and place the bacon, sliced tomato, and lettuce on top, 4.) enjoy thoroughly.

I added some salt and pepper plus a few basil leaves from my garden because I love basil and it looked gorgeous but that's not necessary and definitely not authentic.

A myriad of tastes and textures.

I bought the ingredients for this sandwich fully intending on making a pizza. However, Pizza Friday Jared had a serious fish and chips craving taking us to the Highlander (which is amazing, if you're in the area... crunchy coating, flaky fish, I could go on...) and putting pizza on the back burner.

I'm still planning on a pizza, but this panini will be hard to beat. Crunchy bread, creamy and tangy goat cheese, sweet fig preserves, and salty prosciutto. Really delicious.


I'll be the first to say that I love Alton Brown and embrace his anti-unitasker stance. My mango pitter is my knife, my quesadilla maker is a pair of cast iron skillets, and I flatten my chicken paillards with my rolling pin. However, Ina Garten mentioned in Barefoot Contessa at Home that she also eschews unnecessary kitchen gadgetry but purchased a panini press and loves it, noting that nothing beats it for a quick dinner. When we received one as a wedding gift (that doubles as a griddle, so not totally a unitasker) we were thrilled.

Thinking about my pizza that wasn't, I decided to put the panini press to work and I was not disappointed. These ingredients are made for one another, and made to by grilled! See those dark spots on the sandwich?


That's fig preserves that escaped through the holes in the bread to become caramelized deliciousness. The goat cheese oozes and the prosciutto poking out on the edges gets a little crispy. It's a fantastic lunch or dinner with a little salad and a glass of rosé out on the patio.


Fig, Prosciutto, and Herbed Goat Cheese Panini
Makes 1 sandwich

Note: I love my panini press but you absolutely don't need one to make this sandwich. Instead, heat one small and one medium cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once they're hot, place the oiled sandwich on the medium skillet and place the small heated skillet on top of it, pressing down. Turn the sandwich over if the bottom is finished toasting before the top.

2 slices rustic bread
Fig preserves
Herbed goat cheese
2 slices prosciutto
Olive oil

1. Preheat your panini press to medium-high. Spread each slice of bread with a thin layer of jam. You want both slices to be covered but not slathered. Next, spread each layer with the goat cheese. Again, you want a nice thin layer; I used probably 1-2 oz but you should use whatever suits your taste. Finally, layer the prosciutto onto one slice and put the other on top so all of your fillings are inside.

2. Brush both sides of the outside of your sandwich lightly with olive oil. The goal is to get enough to crisp and brown the bread but not leave it soggy or greasy. Put your sandwich on the panini grill, close the lid and press down. My sandwich took about 5 minutes to get crispy and golden, but yours could take more or less, depending on your particular press so check it after a few minutes.

3. When your sandwich is hot with pretty grill marks, cut it in half and serve immediately.