By Kathy Hart
I’m a firm believer in using what you have on hand in the kitchen. As a mom on a budget, I often had to get creative and make do with what we had. The same holds true at Isaac’s Café. Because Bernheim is a private not-for-profit organization, I want to always be mindful of being a good steward of our resources. You no doubt have heard the statement “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, well when the Edible Garden gave us peppers (lots of peppers!), we pickled them! Cole Alexander, Bernheim’s Edible Garden Steward, planted a wonderful assortment of peppers in the spring and we are still reaping the benefits of his hard work at Isaac’s Café.
The process of pickling vegetables has been around for some 4000 years. It was an essential element in food preservation in agricultural societies before refrigeration was an option. Pickling also has considerable health benefits like providing vitamins, important nutrients and amino acids. Additionally, pickling adds a flavor component to dishes that elevate the taste and can take an okay sandwich and turn it into a culinary masterpiece.
Our new sandwich, the E.G. Panino (E. G. for Edible Garden), is the result of all these wonderful pickled peppers. We start with a fresh baked ciabatta roll from Breadworks Bakery, layer on Black Forest ham, Italian pepperoni, asiago cheese, a pile of our pickled peppers along with a smear of our homemade pesto-mayo and grill all this to perfection on the panini! You can taste the Edible Garden in every bite!
This week’s special of course is our E. G. Panino sandwich along with a seasonal side of your choice. Just $6.95.