Yam and Cheese Sandwich with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Cafe Flora

A favorite. Making me hungry just thinking about these sandwiches.

You can make the Pumpkin Seed Pesto as much as several days ahead, and roast the yams the day before.

1 large yam (about 1 lb), peeled and sliced in rounds, about 1/8 inch thick

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika)

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 medium onion, sliced in rounds about 1/4 inch thick

4 sticcola rolls, or other chewy rolls or buns with a tender crust

Pumpkin Seed Pesto (recipe follows)

4 slices fontina or provolone cheese

sweet hot mustard, Dijon, or your favorite mustard

A couple handfuls spinach leaves

GET READY. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the yam in a bowl with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and pimenton. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss again.

ROAST THE YAM. Spread the yam slices on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to accommodate them in a single layer without crowding. (If you crowd the yams, you will steam rather than roast them.) Roast until tender, but not mushy, so that a sharp knife easily pierces the yam slices, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

BROWN TEH ONION. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the onion in a single layer, trying to keep the slices intact. Cook undisturbed until on side is browned, about 5 minutes.

Flip the onion rounds over - it's OK if they falls apart at this point - and continue to cook. Flip the onion occasionally until it's tender and browned evenly all over, about 5 minutes more.

TOAST THE BREAD. Slice the rolls in half, and lay them, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, 2 or 3 minutes.

MAKE THE SANDWICHES. Spread each of the 8 halves right to the edges with 1 or 2 Tblsp of Pumpkin Seed Pesto. Layer 4 halves (the bottom halves) with 5 or 6 slices of roasted yam, one-fourth of the onion, and finish with a slice of cheese.

BAKE THE SANDWICH HALVES. Put all 8 sandwich halves on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or on a sheet of parchment paper), and bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

SERVE THE SANDWICHES. Remove the sandwich halves from the oven. Spread the top halves with sweet hot mustard. Top the bottom halves with spinach leaves, put the sandwich together, and eat!

PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

1/2 cup raw green pumpkin seeds, hulled

salt

6 to 8 large fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped (about 3 Tbsp)

1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs, roughly chopped

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

freshly ground pepper

TOAST THE PUMPKIN SEEDS by tossing them in a dry saute pan over high heat until they start to pop. Add salt to taste, and set aside to cool.

MIX ALL THE INGREDIENTS. Put the pumpkin seeds, sage, parsley, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add the olive oil through the feed tube, processing until the mixture is chunky (like chunky peanut butter). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: If you can find toasted pumpkin seeds (or pepitas), use those and skip the roasting instructions.