More sandwiches, curbside

Mine: artichokes and basil and feta and I can't remember what else
Melissa's: roasted eggplant and red peppers, arugula, ricotta..

Since some of you are just as enthused about the curbside lunch as I am, I thought it only prudent that I post some more pictures that were just taking up space on my computer.

The Sunday before last Melissa was in town and we ended up strolling along Portobello Road (where a very cute bracelet was purchased by yours truly) and having lunch at Gail's. I wrote about their sandwiches before but didn't have an actual picture of the one that stole my heart, so finally here is a picture of 2 of their sandwiches. And I'm happy to report they did not disappoint.

The yellow line in the picture is clear indication that this was indeed a most authentic curbside lunch. It was a beautiful and sunny day and there was not a single table available for us, so this pair of hungry girls just had to make do.

Of course, then we made our way to a pub for a pint, but that's another story..


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Gail's
138 Portobello Road
London, W11 2DZ

64 Hampstead High Street
London, NW3 1QH

You had me at roasted artichoke..

A souvenir of my lunch at Gail's, because I didn't get a pic of
the sandwich that this post is really about. A girl has to make do.

I know, it seems as though all I ever talk about is some place or other in Notting Hill. But geez, it's so damn charming, can you blame me?
I fully intended to go back to Book for Cooks for lunch the other day, but as we made our way there, my friend and I noticed this cute little bakery/lunch spot and couldn't help but peek our heads in. I tell you, once you pop your noggin' in there, there's no resisting.

Gail's is not new to London but it is relatively new to Portobello Road. Take one look at their range of artisanal breads, pastries and sandwiches and I dare you to try to walk out of there empty handed.

Let it be said that I do not take sandwiches lightly. I am a very complicated, sandwich-loving woman.
In fact, I will only buy a sandwich if it meets very exacting standards. This happens maybe once or twice a year, except for that dry spell of 2004. Because nothing upsets me more than a poorly executed sandwich.

So there I was. In Gail's. Man, it sure smelled bready and good in there. There were sandwiches that seemed to be tailored made for a picky girl like me:
Charcoal ham and guacamole
Gorgonzola and pear
Greek feta and courgette
I wiped the dribble off of my chin and I swear the skies parted and a heavenly (or maybe just fluorescent) beam of light shone down on this one:
Bresaola, Roasted Artichoke, and Rocket Sandwich.

As if that weren't enough, we washed it down with a glass of freshly squeezed blood orange juice and finished it all off with a yogurt and granola cup.
Let's pause to appreciate the fabulousness of this lunch.
It was such a healthy meal I was forced to restore balance in my universe by indulging in that red velvet cupcake later that afternoon.

I left Gail's with not just a full belly-- but also a fresh baguette and a plump sausage roll to bring home for G.

I'd never been to Gail's before, but I'm happy to be able to find them on Portobello Road. Since I never seem to go anywhere else.

Gail's
138 Portobello Road
London, W11 2DZ

64 Hampstead High Street
London, NW3 1QH

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Note: you can sit down and enjoy your lunch in their cute little space or take any of this home with you. Their website has a menu of their offerings.

Sandwiches make the rain go away.. sort of...

Olive Ciabatta with fresh mozzarella, radicchio, roasted zucchini and asparagus, and pesto creme fraiche

It's raining again in Heidelberg. And yes, I'm rolling my eyes about it. It's been raining alot. So I am housebound, when I'd rather not be. And this morning it surprised me as I was wandering around the farmer's market, and I, of course, was without my umbrella. The problem is, everything is closed on Sundays, so if you have no food in the fridge on Saturday, you have little choice but to brave the weather. And aside from that, my farmer's market won't be back until Wednesday so it's really not just Sunday I have to worry about.

So after a trip to the farmers market, the bakery, the butcher, the fish monger, the wine store, and a specialty food shop, I was finally done. If only they were in the same place. I was chilled to the bone by the time I got home. Thankfully I didn't need to go to the grocery store too.

I had a few exciting finds this morning, but my best was a loaf of Olive Ciabatta. And it was as simple as it sounds. A Ciabatta loaf with green olives in it. (Although I think I might have preferred black olives) As you can see by the picture below, there are many olivey bites to be had in this loaf. This bread looked to me like it could stand some hearty treatment.

And since the weather left me chilled and grumpy, warm and hearty was exactly what I wanted.
With all the vegetables I had in my fridge I decided to make a roasted vegetable sandwich. And yes, I think it did make the rain go away.

Here's the quick version of my tasty sandwich.

Grill or roast asparagus and zucchini tossed with olive oil. (zucchini cut down the length into slices, a little less than a 1/4 inch thick) Spread a little olive oil on the ciabatta and grill or broil it so it is toasty. Put a layer of fresh mozzarella on the bottom of the ciabatta and put it back under the broiler for a minute or two to soften the cheese. Top with freshly cracked black pepper. Top with roasted asparagus, a few soft leaves of radicchio, and then the grilled zucchini. Take the top bun and spread it with a mixture of basil pesto and creme fraiche and place it on top of the zucchini. You could also put the pesto/creme fraiche on the bottom bun, next time I will. Eat!

Now, I think it might be an afternoon for opening a bottle of wine and digging into our dvd collection..


Olive Ciabatta