Turkey, basil, and nectarine paninis with balsamic vinegar

My dear readers, it has been far too long. You are most likely carrying on, as if nothing is missing in your lives, but I am having withdrawals. I cannot believe it has been four days since I have posted anything. There are many things I could hold responsible for this long lapse of time between blogs, namely a certain little guy who is in a stage that I will call really-fussy-and-cranky-unless-I-am-destroying-Mommy's-Calaphon-pans.





However, I cannot entirely blame my lack of time in the kitchen on the munchkin.
There was also, to put it bluntly, a failure. It was my first real failure at a dish that I thought would be blog-worthy. It just didn't make the cut. I really wanted it to, mainly because I took some pretty pictures of the ingredients.



My last reason for not blogging that I will bore you with is this: we are house hunting. Ugh.
I am learning quickly that this is not as glamorous as one would think. I originally thought that poking around in a bunch of old houses in Northeast Portland would be enjoyable. And it was, until we put an offer on one and we didn't get it. And then we looked at a bunch more that apparently already had offers on them. And then we realized that no matter what we buy, it will probably need work. Maybe a lot of work.
The process is chaotic and makes us both tense and exhausted. We usually arrive home late from house hunting and, because of the first mentioned reason, I have nothing ready for dinner. So, I make paninis.
They are so easy and, like pasta, you can pretty much throw anything into them and they taste amazing.
I really like the following combination, but some people- ahem, my husband- are not quite daring enough to try it with the nectarine, but he insists they are still good without.


Turkey, provolone, basil, and nectarine paninis with balsamic vinegar
(please excuse the lack of measurements, but really, they are just sandwiches.) 
loaf of good, fresh, artisan bread (I used ciabatta), cut into thin slices
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
turkey lunch meat (I used peppered turkey)
provolone
basil leaves
nectarines, sliced
Turn a pan or stove-top grill to medium heat. Lightly brush one side of a slice of bread with olive oil, then set it down, oiled side down. Pour a small amount of vinegar over the other side of the bread (about 1 tbsp). Layer meat, then nectarines, then basil, then cheese on top. Place another slice of bread over the cheese, and lightly brush with oil. Place on grill, then press down with another pan on the top of the sandwich. Grill about three minutes, or until grill marks are present and cheese is melting. Flip and grill, pressing down, on the other side about three minutes. Serve with a large side salad (and by that I mean Kettle pepper and salt crinkle chips, yum). Enjoy.

PS I promise something better is coming, because Friday is my birthday, and I must make something fabulous of course. Here are some hints for you:
1. I am collecting egg whites
2. I bought heavy whipping cream, bittersweet chocolate, and vanilla extract at the store today.
3. I am praying for fresh berries (so optimistic) to be available at the Farmers Market tomorrow.
If you guess correctly and post your guess in the comment section before Friday, you will win a free copy of my cookbook*

*minor stipulation- you must first get me a book deal, and your book will be scheduled to arrive sometime late 2015

Elissa  – (July 7, 2011 at 1:34 PM)  

I'm going to make these tonight! So excited. I love nectarines and I have some really good ones! This is the perfect way to use them:)

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