I'm not sure exactly what round of bread I purchased from Cafe Japon at the Farmers Market, but it is wonderful. I believe she said it was a whole wheat sourdough (it tastes as such), and the flavor, crust and chew is divine. I saved a couple of center pieces to make one big panini sandwich; large enough to serve myself and husband with a side salad.

I made pesto on Friday and purchased mozzarella (a large ball runs from $5-8 dollars, depending on weight) from Zingerman's. I love the salty, creamy flavor of this local specialty. I've noticed Zingerman's is teaching classes on making this cheese; sounds like a savory way to spend an afternoon.

 

Yield: 1 large sandwich
Active Time: 10 minutes (if pesto is already prepared)
Grill Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons prepared pesto                                                                                                   2 large pieces artisan bread, center cut (approx. 8 inches long by 3 inches wide)

4 slices fresh mozzarella round, cut, if necessary, to fit bread
1 tomato, slice and cut pieces to fit bread

Directions

1. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on each side of bread.
2. Evenly divide cheese over pesto on both sides of bread. Arrange cheese slice over both sides of bread. Place tomato slices on top of one piece of bread. Put bread together to made a sandwich.
3. In a heated oiled or buttered skillet, panini press or George Forman grill, grill sandwich until cheese is melted and bread is lightly toasted. (I grilled my sandwich on a Forman at 375 degrees about 15-20 minutes.)