Ploughman Sandwich

Sorry for the lack of posts the last few days. My in-laws have been in town and as such, I haven’t been cooking much. Here’s something I did last week:

I was recently in England and because most of the food was “eh”, I bought a lot of grocery store meals. There I discovered the ploughman sandwich and fell in love. It consists of a thick slice of cheddar (preferably sharp and English), pickles, lettuce, and pickled onions/relish on tasty bread. It comes from the Ploughman’s Lunch. I’ve been missing it since I’ve been back, so I attempted to recreate it. Also, I wanted to use up some of the leftover challah.

I used pear chutney for the relish. My mom made it. The reason I mention the food my parents give me so much is because they are farmers now. My mom has been canning since I was a kid and now with their homegrown stuff, I get incredible things. The last time they visited I got the aforementioned chutney, amazing ketchup made with heirloom tomatoes, rosemary, parsley, lots of garlic and more ranchero sauce. I also have a pesto in the freezer that she made. Their business is called Chernay Gardens and it’s awesome. They are certified naturally grown, which is something you can check out here.

Anyway, this is what I did:

Two thick slices of challah
Big chunk of white cheddar
Bread and butter pickles
Big piece of lettuce
Pear chutney



Spread chutney on slices and pile on the ingredients. I had mine with gherkin pickles on the side. It was really good, but could’ve used a sharper, more flavorful cheddar. Also, pickled onions or a different relish would’ve lent a more authentic flavor. And different pickles (less sweet). Still, it was a nice re-creation and a twist on my usual sandwiches. Next time I’ll probably also use a more rustic type bread.