. . . fantastic fare for picnics

About thirteen years ago, I was planning a picnic.  It was a date, and the first picnic I had ever tried to compose for someone special. I was young and nervous, and not much of a cook (but my date was).  So, wanting to impress him,  I headed out to the farmers market and picked up everything my 19 year old brain deemed as "fancy".  I grabbed some freshly baked bread. . .

. . . fruit, goat cheese. . .

. . . a few veggies, some cured meats. . .

. . . and, on my way out, a jar of plum mustard.

I'm not quite sure, but I think perhaps that plum mustard might have had something to do with my date eventually becoming my husband.  We've talked about it randomly throughout the years.  I can't count the number of times that we've said "Do you remember that plum mustard?  That would be great with. . .."

I've done quick google searches for it, checked at my local stores, but haven't been able to find another jar of that sweet and spicy loveliness.  Why I never thought of making it before now is a true mystery.  But it's safe to say, it's here to stay.

Summer Sandwich with Grilled Vegetables and Plum Mustard

Ingredients:

• Summer veggies (I used eggplant, zucchini, and yellow summer squash)
• Chèvre goat cheese (room temperature)
• Basil
• Crusty Italian bread (or similar)
• 6-7 plums
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 2 tablespoons prepared whole grain mustard
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Water
• Salt and Pepper

To make the mustard, pit the plums and toss them in a saucepan with the sugar and enough water to come up about half way on the plums.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer to allow the plums to cook and the water to cook off.

While this is cooking slice your veggies in 1/4" strips and coat them in a thin layer of olive oil.  Grill them on a grill or a well oiled grill pan.  If you're planning for your week ahead of time, you could grill the veggies when you are making other grilled goods and then simply keep them in the fridge.  When the veggies have been grilled on both sides season them to taste.

By this point the plums should be nicely reduced.  With an immersion blender, regular blender, or a food processor, puree the mixture.  Add the ground mustard and the whole grain mustard and mix thoroughly.

If you prefer a sharper mustard you can add more whole grain mustard. Conversely if you would like a mild variation you can add just one tablespoon of whole grain mustard. 

This recipe makes roughly one 7oz jar of mustard.

To compose your sandwich, first grill your bread with a bit of olive oil (or toast it).  Then spread a layer of the plum mustard on each piece of bread, and finish it up by adding your grilled veggies, chèvre, and basil leaves.

Pack it with a simple green salad and some dried fruits and nuts and you are set for a picnic under the trees!

 

With the Kids: Have them help you pick out the different types of veggies for the sandwich. Invite them to mix up the mustard (after you have pureed the plums) Ask them to compose their sandwiches with their favorite veggies and herbs(for kids with discerning taste buds you could use cream cheese instead of chèvre) Talk about where you would like to go on a picnic. Head out to the park or the woods and enjoy the day!

 

~ Sarah

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