My younger brother kindly informed me the other day that the food I make is pretentious.
By the way, this younger brother of mine comes over every Sunday for dinner and help on his Econ homework. Which means I provide dinner and dessert while Jackson does his homework for him.
And he had the nerve to call my food pretentious.
Granted, this kid eats Taco Bell in the shower and his pantry consists of a half-eaten jar of marshmallow fluff, stale cereal, and cans of New England Clam Chowder. So I don’t really take his comments about my food to heart.
I realize that may have sounded a bit pretentious.
He certainly wasn’t complaining about how pretentious this sandwich was when I made it for him the other day… Psh. Whatever. But in an effort to make my food less pretentious, these are roasted tomato sammies. Not sandwiches, paninis, just laid back, super chill sammies.
Although they may be sammies, they do not disappoint flavor-wise. Cherry tomatoes roast in olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar for upwards of an hour before being combined with lemony feta spread, sun-dried tomato hummus, and fresh spinach on crunchy bread. If you fear this sandwich being called the “P” word by the ungrateful people you’re serving it to, just limit the description to a “tomato and cheese sammie.” If the person you’re serving to thinks the tomato is a bit too exotic for their taste, just tell them it’s essentially a ketchup and cheese sandwich. Sure to win with brothers of all ages every time.
Jackson and I both agreed that next time my brother comes over, he’ll be served a bowl of mush. I doubt I’ll have the heart to do it when the time comes, though. Pretentious or not, everyone deserves a meal that doesn’t come out of a can or a box every once and awhile.
Roasted tomato sammies
Ingredients
For the tomatoes
- 16 oz grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
For the feta spread
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt + pepper, to taste
For the hummus
- 3/4 cup regular or garlic hummus
- 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, diced
For the construction
- 8 slices good quality bread
- 1 cup fresh spinach
Instructions
For the tomatoes
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees
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In a baking dish lined with aluminum foil, combine tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Mix to coat tomatoes.
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Bake for approximately one hour, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes are done once the liquid in the baking dish is gone. Let cool.
For the feta spread
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In a food processor, combine feta, lemon juice, and garlic. Pulse until smooth.
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Add half the olive oil and pulse until combined. If the mixture is too thick or grainy, add in the rest of the olive oil and pulse a smooth paste is formed.
For the hummus
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In a small bowl, mix together hummus and sun-dried tomatoes.
For the construction
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Toast bread and spread 1/4 of the feta spread on four of the slices. On the other slices, spread 1/4 of the hummus on each. Scoop tomatoes onto the hummus bread and top with 1/4 cup spinach followed by the top slice of bread (with the feta). Repeat for the next three sandwiches.
