B.L.A.T.T.? Bacon, lettuce, arugula, tomato, turkey ~ on grilled ciabatta. This is a kicked up version of the American diner favorite, the BLT. Piling arugula and baby greens twice as high as the bread, drizzling with dill caper dressing and pressing the loaf with a weighted cast iron pan for 15 minutes, brings all the flavors together for one of the best versions of a BLT.
Serves 4-6
Dill Caper Dressing
- 1/2 C real mayonnaise
- 1/2 C Greek yogurt
- 2 T fresh lemon juioe
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 1/3 C capers, drained
- 2 T organic dill, chopped
- 2 T whole grain mustard (or Dijon)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper, plus more for tomatoes
Makes about 1-1/4 cup. In a medium size mixing bowl, add all ingredients and whisk until well incorporated. Refrigerate for one hour before adding to sandwich. This can be made several days ahead and lasts for up to two weeks in the fridge.
SANDWICH INGREDIENTS
- 6-8 strips of good thick cut peppered bacon, cooked until crisp
- 1 (12″) long loaf of fresh baked ciabatta, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 T unsalted butter
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lb of good smoked turkey (either deli or roasted turkey meat), sliced for sandwiches
- 4-6 slices provolone (optional – but it was good)
- 1 -2 summertime heirloom tomatoes, sliced thick and seasoned with cracked black pepper
- 1 sweet onion, sliced thin
- 1 organic yellow, orange or red bell pepper, thinly julienne cut (optional)
- 8 slices crisp dill pickle (I cut my pickles into several pieces and evenly placed them on the sandwich)
- 2 C organic arugula, washed
- 1 C organic mixed greens, washed
Preheat oven to 450. On a rack lined sheet pan, place bacon strips evenly across rack. Cook for 6-8 minutes until crisp. Set aside. Slice ciabatta in half, lengthwise. Melt butter with olive oil and spread on both sides of ciabatta. Place both sides of buttered ciabatta on another sheet pan and place under broiler until lightly browned – approximately 4-5 minutes. Cool for a few minutes prior to assembling ingredients. Toss arugula and mixed greens together.
Assembly: Evenly spread about 3 tablespoons of dressing on bottom piece of ciabatta. Layer on the turkey, bacon, provolone slices, tomatoes with cracked black pepper, sliced onion, peppers, pickles, tossed arugula and mixed greens. Generously drizzle dill caper dressing over mixed greens. Put top piece of toasted ciabatta onto of greens and press down with a weighted cast iron pan for about 15 minutes. (I put a bag of lentils in the pan to give it more weight.) With a serrated knife, carefully slice 3″ pieces and serve with your favorite soup, fruit and chips.