Birchwood BLT

(1)

Tracy Singleton, owner of the Birchwood Cafe in Minneapolis, combines summer's greatest hits--heirloom tomatoes, basil and sweet corn--in what she calls "a kitchen sink sandwich."

Birchwood BLT
Photo: Carson Downing
Hands On Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
40 mins
Servings:
6
Yield:
6 sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 1 ear sweet corn, husks and silks removed

  • ½ cup heavy cream

  • 1 small canned chipotle in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 large cloves garlic

  • 2 cups fresh basil

  • 1 cup arugula

  • ½ cup toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds

  • ½ cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

  • cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 1 pound bacon

  • 12 slices multigrain bread

  • 12 leaves lettuce

  • 2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced

Directions

  1. For coulis: Cut kernels from ear of sweet corn. In a saucepan, combine corn kernels, cream and chipotle pepper. Bring to a boil over medium; reduce to low and simmer until corn is very soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Puree the mixture, using an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. For pesto: In a food processor, chop garlic. Add basil, arugula, pine nuts and Parmesan. Process until finely chopped. Pulse in olive oil until incorporated but not completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir 1 tablespoon pesto into 1/2 cup mayonnaise. (You can stir leftover pesto into hot pasta.)

  3. Fry bacon in a skillet until desired crispness. Toast bread. Spread all slices generously with pesto mayonnaise. Layer lettuce, sliced tomatoes and bacon on one side. Top with a spoonful or two of the coulis and another slice of bread. Halve diagonally and serve with lots of napkins.

This recipe has a lot of elements. Feel free to save time by swapping purchased pesto for the homemade.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

550 Calories
34g Fat
44g Carbs
21g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 550
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 34g 44%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 85mg 28%
Sodium 860mg 37%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 10mg 50%
Calcium 39mg 3%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 328mg 7%
Related Articles