Cheese

The Farmer's (Brown Bag) Lunch

Name: The Farmer's (Brown Bag) Lunch
Yield: Serves 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/4 really good baguette; good mayo; whole grain mustard; 3 ounces (or even a bit more) really good sharp cheddar, sliced; 1/4 tart apple (like a Granny Smith or Cortland), cut into thin slices; 1-2 leaves of red leaf or butter lettuce; a few pieces of pickled green tomato, sliced thinly (use store bought, or for homemade see recipe below); 1 quart jar with lid; 1 pound green (underripe) tomatoes; 2 cups cider vinegar; 1/2 cup water; 1 tablespoon honey; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 pinch red pepper flakes; a large pinch whole cloves; a large pinch celery seeds; 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns; 1 tablespoon pickling salt or Kosher salt

by: fiveandspice

October 4, 2022

1 Ratings

Serves 1

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Author Notes

This wonderful sandwich comes from a little grocers right down the street from where I live called City Feed. For a long time I didn't try it because it didn't sound terribly interesting, but boy was I wrong! I finally got it one day and became immediately obsessed. Of course, you can't spend $8 for a sandwich everyday, so this is my remake of it for home lunch packing purposes. It is a simple sandwich packed with wonderful flavor that comes from choosing really high quality ingredients. - fiveandspice —fiveandspice

Test Kitchen Notes

This is a great sandwich for non-lunch-meat eaters. The intense brininess of the green tomatoes, the crisp sweetness of the apples, and the soft tanginess of the cheese come together perfectly. As the recipe notes specify, this is a case when the whole is as good as the sum of its parts--good quality ingredients are essential. I made the pickled green tomatoes the day before I made the sandwich, which certainly didn't give me the weeks of flavor development called for in the recipe, but they still tasted pickle-y and delicious. Altogether, I agree with my husband that these sandwiches tasted like "more!" – Uenasway —The Editors

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

Farmer's Lunch Sandwich
¹/₄ really good baguette
good mayo
whole grain mustard
3 ounces (or even a bit more) really good sharp cheddar, sliced
¹/₄ tart apple (like a Granny Smith or Cortland), cut into thin slices
1-2 leaves of red leaf or butter lettuce
a few pieces of pickled green tomato, sliced thinly (use store bought, or for homemade see recipe below)

Pickled green tomatoes
1 quart jar with lid
1 pound green (underripe) tomatoes
2 cups cider vinegar
¹/₂ cup water
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cinnamon stick
1 pinch red pepper flakes
a large pinch whole cloves
a large pinch celery seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon pickling salt or Kosher salt

Directions

Farmer's Lunch Sandwich
Cut baguette in half horizontally to open. Smear each side with a layer of mayo and mustard. On the bottom side of the bread, layer on the slices of cheese, the apple slices, the pieces of green tomato, and the lettuce. Cover up the sandwich with the top. Wrap tightly in sandwich paper until you're ready to eat. It's best eaten within a few hours, but you could make it the night before and keep it in the fridge until morning.

Pickled green tomatoes
Sterilize your empty jar and lid in boiling water (or a dishwasher) and set aside on a clean towel to dry.
Wash the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Pack the tomatoes into the clean jar until nearly full.
Combine the vinegar, water, honey, salt, and all the spices in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and allow to boil for a few minutes (3-5). Pour this over the tomatoes in the jar until the tomatoes are covered and the liquid reaches up to about 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. Slide a wooden skewer or spoon around the inside wall of the jar to make sure there are no air bubbles.
Screw the lid onto the jar. Allow to cool, then refrigerate. The flavor should be developed enough to enjoy within a couple of weeks, and the pickles will keep in the refrigerator for several months.

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8 Reviews

lapadia October 19, 2010

Hi fiveandspice, I just pickled 2 batches with all my tomatoes that didn't ripen; they look awesome and I am looking forward to trying them!

fiveandspice October 19, 2010

Awesome! I hope you enjoy them! They're one of my favorites, and really a great way to use up all those tomatoes that didn't ripen when you can't handle frying any more of them.

Midge October 12, 2010

I finally tried the City Feed version and wow, I may have a new favorite. The pickled tomatoes seem key. Hope to make a batch soon with my remaining tomato crop!

fiveandspice October 12, 2010

Yay! Glad you liked it. The pickled tomatoes are definitely key. I just made two batches this weekend with all my tomatoes that didn't ripen. (a drawback of a shady garden turned into a benefit!)

Midge September 28, 2010

Funny, I live near City Feed too. I'm hooked on their smoked turkey sandwich so I've never tried this one but I will next time!

fiveandspice September 28, 2010

Ooh, yes! Their turkey sandwich is also great. That's the one I always used to get...until I tried this one! I definitely recommend trying it sometime!

luvcookbooks September 27, 2010

Thanks for the two in one recipe! This sounds like a haunting sandwich, and once you make the green tomato pickles it's a snap to make.