Grilled Bacon And Cheese Open Sandwiches (AKA Tartines)

This is one of Mr P.'s dishes.  He's the rice and pasta cook in the family, and also the grill (and grilled sandwich) man.  (And considering that he's disabled, he does a damn good job of it.)  I've mentioned before how he taught his young, female housemates to cook.  He was brought up well by his mum, who brought up six children pretty much on her own.  

I mean, he had a dad of course, but dads didn't often do much in the way of housework and cooking in those days:-)  Mr P.'s dad spent his weekends golfing and gliding in light planes.  Lucky fella!  I still shudder when I hear women say their husbands don't cook.  What the??!!  Shove a recipe book and a saucepan in their face, I say.  Or maybe just get them to heat up the grill for these tasty sandwiches, and leave them to it.  

grilled and gorgeous!

Serves 4:

ingredients:

1-2 tbs EV olive oil

250g. (8 oz) shortcut rindless bacon, cut into thick strips

1 red onion, sliced into half-moons (quoth Mr P.)

1/2 large red capsicum (bell pepper), cut into thinnish strips

1 zucchini, cut into strips

slices of thick sourdough or similar bread - we made 8 tartines

lotsa butter, to spread over the slices of bread

cheese slices, one for each open sandwich - Mr P. used vintage cheddar slices

parsley, roughly chopped - for serving - to scatter over the tartines

Salad:

leaves of your choice:  I used a baby leaf mix

1 green apple, thinly sliced 

1/2 cucumber, sliced thinly

1 avocado, cut into chunks or slices - or some fetta chunks

a big handful of toasted pecans

a splash of EV olive oil or an agrumato oil - I used mandarin 

a splash of balsamic vinegar - I used cranberry balsamic

1 tbs lemon juice

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

a scattering of chopped parsley on top

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large frypan, toss in the bacon and onion, and fry for about ten minutes till starting to caramelise

Tip the bacon and onion into a bowl, and put aside while you add the capsicum and zucchini to the frypan, and fry gently till golden

Toast the bread slices in your toaster, or the grill if you prefer

Butter your bread generously right up to the edges of each slice

Put a helping of the bacon and veg. mix onto each slice

Top each one with cheese, then under the grill it goes for several minutes till the cheese is melted and bubbling

Place all the salad ingredients into a medium bowl, and toss gently

Grab a slice or two or three of the beautifully-laden bread, and a bowlful of salad

Notes:

Make these with mushroom slices instead of bacon for a vego. version; or try Mr P.'s suggestion of grilled halloumi

cut your veg into strips

and the bacon

cut the onion into half moons

and stir the bacon and onion now and then

buttering the toasted bread right to the corners:-)

frying up the veg.

under the grill they go with a slice of cheese

till they get all golden and melty

throw the salad ingredients into a bowl

grab a bowlful

ready for eating - by him

and by me:-)

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