it’s still too hot!

According to the weather report this morning we here in Southern NJ are entering our fifth heat wave of the summer. Ugh.

I live in an old house and do not have central air conditioning. Double ugh.

But…my children are adults now. Married. Living in their own homes. So husband and I do not have to eat a completely balanced dinner every night. We do not always have to set a good example. And we don’t have to set the table with the fine china.

Tonight we’re having a delicious meal. Lots of food groups represented. Tonight we’re having grilled cheese with bacon and Jersey tomatoes on sour dough bread. Yum.

The farmer’s market is overflowing with tomatoes. It is a very good year. At the Collingswood Farmers’ Market you can buy delicious tomatoes from the following farms…Springdale, Buzby, Hymer, Dannlyn, Fruitwood, Viereck, Formisano, Flaim…everyone has tomatoes and they are all delicious.

Delicious cheese and no-nitrate bacon can be purchased with one stop at Hillacres Pride.

And the best sour dough bread (or brioche, or whole grain, or honey wheat,or…) can be found at Wild Flour Bakery’s stand. You might want to pick up an oatmeal raisin cookie (husband’s favorite) or a slice of a sweet quick bread for dessert.

The recipe is easy. The dinner is quick. And with a glass of iced tea and some cold melon slices (again…Buzby, Hymer, Viereck, Fruitwood) you have a perfect light and perfectly delightful Fifth Heat Wave of the Summer Thursday Dinner!

Ingredients
sour dough bread
cheese
bacon (pre-cooked…when it’s cool)
tomatoes (diced, because no one likes to bite into and then pull out by your teeth…a large slice of hot tomato)
butter or mayonnaise

Heat your frying pan to medium. Butter one side of one slice of bread (or as Chef Michael Symon does…spread mayonnaise on one side of one slice of bread).

Put a piece of cheese on the bread. Put a few pieces of crumbled bacon on top of the cheese. Put diced tomato on top of bacon.

Put two pieces of cheese on top of tomatoes. Cover with a second slice of bread butter or mayonnaised on one side (buttered side up). When the first slice of cheese is starting to melt, with a large spatula, flip the sandwich. If your flipping skills are as good as mine you’ll have to gently straighten up your sandwich with the spatula. Put a lid on top and let cook only a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Be careful not to burn the bread.