By Heat wave. Tuesday hit 97. The clinic AC was working at three-quarters strength all week and we sweated through scrubs. I drank so much water I lost count.
Day camp gets indoor days when it's over 95. The kids did movies and board games and came home cranky. Liam beat me at Connect Four three times in a row Wednesday night. I lost on purpose for the first one. He won the next two on his own merits.
The tomatoes are coming in. I had four cherry tomatoes Sunday morning warm off the vine on the back step. I ate them like candy. I gave one to Nora. She made a face. She is six, almost six, and she does not yet appreciate the cherry tomato off the vine.
Clinic Friday: a kid, eleven, came in with heat exhaustion from soccer practice. The coach had not let them break. I had a quiet word with the parent that should be relayed to the coach. Pediatric heat is fast and it is not a joke.
Group Tuesday. We met in the air-conditioned parish hall with the lights low. Diane has gotten a haircut. We complimented it. She blushed. Bernadette said it is okay to feel good, Diane. Diane said okay.
Meghan called at 11 Wednesday. She said Brian's mother left. I said and. She said and I love my mother-in-law and I love that she lives in Pennsylvania.
Sunday dinner at Ma's. Ma made a cold pasta salad with chicken because she did not want to turn the oven on. Dad had grilled the chicken. They are a unit. They have been one for thirty-nine years.
Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one. The kitchen got hot fast. I made twelve pancakes and the AC unit groaned through it.
Food of the week: cherry tomatoes off the vine. There is no recipe. There is a sun and a vine and a hand.
Ma had the right idea — nobody wants to run the oven in a heat wave, but everybody still needs to eat something that feels like love. That cold pasta salad she made Sunday reminded me that the best summer meals are the ones that don’t fight the weather, and a gourmet grilled cheese is that same spirit in a different form: a little extra care, the right cheese, a hot pan, and dinner is done before the kitchen has time to heat up. Liam would eat this every single night if I let him, and honestly, some weeks, I’m right there with him.
Ultimate Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 8 minutes | Total Time: 13 minutes | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut sourdough or brioche bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 3 oz Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced
- 3 oz sharp white cheddar, thinly sliced
- 2 oz fontina cheese, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Mix the spread. Combine the softened butter and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Stir in the garlic powder. This mixture is what gives the bread its deep golden crust.
- Prep the bread. Lay all four slices of bread on a cutting board. Spread the butter-mayo mixture evenly on one side of each slice. Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the non-buttered side of two of the slices.
- Layer the cheese. On the Dijon-side of those two slices, layer the Gruyère, cheddar, and fontina. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side facing out.
- Cook low and slow. Heat a heavy skillet or cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Place the sandwiches in the dry pan (no added fat — the butter on the bread does the work). Cook for 3—4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until the bread is deep golden brown and the cheese is fully melted.
- Rest and finish. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for 1 minute so the cheese sets slightly. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, slice diagonally, and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 620 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 38g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 890mg