Traveling Gourmet--Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches with Roasted-Garlic and Basil Mayonnaise

If you try only one of the recipes that I give you while we're on this trip, it should be this one.  This is absolutely one of our favorite sandwiches.  I wouldn't ordinarily make this while traveling because it has a few relatively exotic ingredients in the portobello mushrooms and the fresh basil.  They are available in almost all grocery stores now, but I would only make this if we were parked somewhere with access to a full-service produce section.  If we were out in the boondocks, I doubt I could find the ingredients. 

This is a vegetarian recipe.  Mike and I aren't vegetarians, but I usually try to cook vegetarian at least once per week.  It gives me a chance to build up a collection of good vegetarian food in case I find myself needing to entertain any of my vegetarian friends.  I found this in the March, 2008, issue of Bon Appetit.  It was a reader request from a restaurant in Medford, Oregon, called Zinnia Cafe, which sadly, is no longer in business.  (I never visited the restaurant, but I sure do like this sandwich.)  Please be sure to read the note I wrote about the bread.  I always use Pub Buns (or Kaiser Rolls), but you may prefer the bread suggested in the recipe.  It's just a personal preference.

Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches with Roasted-Garlic and Basil Mayonnaise
Recipe from:  Zinnia Cafe, Medford, Oregon (now closed)

Servings:  about 6 sandwiches

2 garlic cloves -- unpeeled
Olive oil -- for drizzling
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter -- divided
1 pound Portobello mushrooms (about 5 large) -- stems trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 package Pub buns -- halved and broiled slightly
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 large tomato -- thinly sliced

To roast garlic:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees (toaster oven is adequate). Place garlic in small ovenproof dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Cool; peel and mash garlic.

Mix mayonnaise, basil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, and mashed roasted garlic in a small bowl.  Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and toss to coat. Drizzle remaining 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar over and cook until tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.

Preheat broiler. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons butter over cut sides of bread. Broil bread, buttered side up, until golden brown, about 2 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning. Spread desired amount of garlic-basil mayonnaise over toasted sides of bread. Arrange mushrooms in an even layer over bottom half of bread. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over. Arrange tomato slices in single layer over cheese. Cover with top half of bread, cut in half, and serve.

NOTES : The original recipe called for a loaf of pain rustique, ciabatta, or focaccia; however, in our experience, this yields a sandwich that is toothsome and difficult to eat. We prefer the softer Pub buns, and they were excellent with this recipe. Simply cut in half, butter the cut sides, and place under the broiler in your toaster oven until nicely browned.

Aside from being delicious, I like this recipe because the component parts can be prepared ahead, so it's a simple task to put it all together at the last minute.  It's nice for entertaining, or for a nice summer time dish when you don't want to be stuck in the kitchen.  It's easy to prepare everything ahead, and then put it together at the last minute, take it outside, and enjoy!

This is our last evening in Hemet.  Tomorrow we're heading down to San Diego.  We were planning to stay the night in Escondido, but the park we wanted to check out was full.  (And anyway, the sites were very narrow and cozier than we like.)  There is a quilt shop in Escondido (Quilter's Paradise) that I dearly want to see, however, and so we're going to stop in there on our way south.  Then we have a reservation at a park in San Diego.  

My mother's ashes are interred at a cemetery in San Diego.  She died way back in 1997.  While I attended her memorial service, I had to return home and go back to work before her ashes were interred, and so I've never visited her place of rest.  I've only seen pictures.  We've decided to stop in there while we're in San Diego, and I'm glad of it.  My father remarried shortly after her death, and so nobody ever visits her.  I'm looking forward to stopping in with some flowers.  She's been gone a long time, but I still feel so closely connected to her.  I wish she'd been alive to see my quilts.  I was inspired to learn because of the beautiful quilts my grandmother (her mother) made, and I think she would have liked them.

We'll stay two nights in San Diego and then head east.  We'll probably spend a few nights in Tucson, and our ultimate destination is Big Bend National Park in west Texas.  We've been there before.  It's a huge park, and we've only barely scratched the surface.  I'll be sending out picture postcards again soon, so be sure to let me know if you want one.  My next post will probably be about the quilt shop in Escondido.  I hope you'll stop by to read it--and I really hope you like these sandwiches if you decide to give them a try!