Spinach and Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese

The original

I visited Rochester's amazing Jazz Fest earlier this week and I can't get something out of my head.

Usually I've got an earworm that's a riff or a line from a song I've heard. This year I can't stop thinking about a sandwich.

I had a grilled cheese sandwich from a food truck called Cheesed and Confused. It had spinach, spicy mustard and goat cheese on a sturdy bread, and I paid an extra dollar for a couple of slices of tomato. (I was glad I did, because the tomato added sweetness and acidity.) Oh my, what a good sandwich. I had two people stop me on the street and ask me where I got it.

My version

It was on my mind so much that I thought I'd recreate it for lunch at home, using ingredients I had on hand. I had a good amount of spinach, because it's in season at the Wickham Farms CSA. I had honey goat cheese I had bought for another recipe, whole grain dijon mustard, Wegmans white bread with whole grain, and a tomato (not in season, but purchased for a recent family taco night). It wasn't quite as tasty as the original -- I wished I had a goat cheese with more tang, a mustard with more bite and bread with more texture -- but all in all, it was enough to alleviate its recurring presence in my brain.

 Here's how I'd make it next time:  

Spinach and Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese

Olive oil
A large handful of fresh local spinach, roughly chopped
A sturdy bread, preferably whole grain
Spicy brown mustard
A tangy goat cheese
Sliced tomatoes

Warm a teaspoon of olive oil in a medium pan. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and sautee until wilted, about two minutes. Remove the spinach to paper towels and squeeze out the moisture. Wipe out the pan.

Spread a slice of bread with mustard to taste. Crumble the goat cheese on top. Top with the sauteed spinach, sliced tomato and sprinkle with more goat cheese. Top with the other piece of bread. Brush the outer surfaces of the bread with olive oil. Grill over medium heat until the outsides are golden brown and the insides nice and warm.