Summer Sammich

Continuing with the "light and fresh" theme today, I selected the Ultimate Summer Sandwich on page 248.  This sandwich uses grilled chicken breast, pesto, goat cheese, and arugula.  The Bride had actually purchased some turkey tenderloins, so I used these instead of chicken breast.  In either case, it works.  Naturally, the first step was to gather every ingredient together.

What I was eager about most was the pesto.  Like yesterday's grill session, I was able to use fresh basil from my garden.  We are approaching my favorite time of year where fresh produce is abundant and rediculously better than store-bought items.

After making the rub and setting the loins in the fridge for a few hours, I started on the pesto.  I've watched my fair share of The Food Network and now it's partner, The Cooking Channel.  Frequently the chefs/hosts use a blender to make their pesto.  I figured I would give it a shot.  I measured the ingredients into the blender:

I gave it a whirl, and even like the TV people I drizzled the oil into the hole at the top of the blender:

In short, it didn't work.  I resorted to my old stand-by, the immersion blender.  It pureed the pesto beautifully, whereas the blender tossed the mixture to the sides and the blades just spun uselessly.  I then mixed in the cheese and my pesto was ready.

While the loins were on the grill ("getting happy" as Emeril would say), I prepped the sammich.  The first step was to bifurcate the baguette.

Next I applied the pesto to one half and the goat cheese to the other.

The next layers were the arugula and the red onion (I forgot to take a picture of the red onion layer, but you get the idea).

The loins came off the grill and looked rather nice.  The rub had worked well, and the grill marks were noticeable.

I sliced them up and put them on the sammich.

I finally put the two halves together and was ready to plate.

I'll say this...the sandwich was good.  I'll also say this...the sandwich was nowhere near "ultimate."  I am perfectly willing to step up and take some of the blame, I used a day-old baguette.  This made for some slighly tough chewing.  Otherwise, the sandwich delivered what was promised...it was "summertimey" and light.  I thoroughly enjoyed using the fresh ingredients and the fact that I ate half of what you saw and didn't feel bloated by the time I was done.  The ingredients married well and all complemented each other.  I felt a slight need for a dressing, but then again, that could have been from the slightly stale bread.  Even still, the sandwich was not what I would call "ultimate."   It was good, but to throw around a word like "ultimate," you had better be bringing your A game.  Pesto, chicken breast, goat cheese, and arugula - at least to me - does not constitute an A game.  Lobster is bringing your A game.  Kobe beef is bringing your A game.  Chicken breast is not.  So thank you, Weber, for a very nice summer sandwich.  But, unfortunately, I cannot call this "ultimate."