Sandwich de jour: Prosciutto and Arugula Sandwich

Hey friends!  I was making my lunch yesterday and thought, I should share this on the blog!  It's a new favorite of mine, and so quick and easy...  And, it helps use up that arugula in my garden that is growing like a weed.  (By the way, I really don't plan on writing about food in every blog.. but, I do  love to eat...)

Big ag, thanks for your help with the prosciutto, cheese, and flour in the bread... Maybe one day I'll have my own pigs and can make my own American prosciutto.  I see it on menus at fancy restaurants... but I see through their pretentious menu... They should just call it cured ham. 

Prosciutto... ugh, that word.  I always hesitate to say it when I go to the deli meat counter... I'm thinking, "Is it pros-kew-toh? or pra-shoo-toh?"  Then I just smile and say it fast... knowing full well they can hear that hard "C" if I decide to pronounce it on that particular day... 

But, yeah, apparently it's more like pra-shoo-toh.  And apparently it's an Italian thing.  So, for your fancy, if not pretentious, Italian sandwich you need:

Rosemary bread
Cured ham (proscuitto)
Cheese--provolone or mozerella
Arugula
Balsamic glaze
Olive oil

Rosemary and olive oil, rosemary and garlic.. focaccia, whatever bread you like really.. I prefer the Rosemary bread from Winkler Bakery in Old Salem, made by the Moravians.

Did you see mayonnaise on there?  Nope!  How un-southern of me?!  A sandwich without mayonnaise! 

Ok, put the bread in a skillet and drizzle with EVOO.  Flip it, drizzle the other side and brown both sides to your satisfaction.. and if you can't get no... satisfaction... well, I'm sorry... bless your heart. 

Meanwhile, step out in your garden and trim off some arugula.  Or grab some out the fridge.

I like a good handful to make me feel healthier.  Rinse it.  Rinse it real good. (If you use chemicals.) 

While the last side of the bread is getting crispy, throw two slices of cheese on there to let it melt a little.  Then take the bread off the stove.

Add your proscuitto on top of the cheese.  Put the arugula on the other slice of bread.  Drizzle that with balsamic glaze and get some on your finger so you can lick it off.

Then flip the ham and cheese over onto the arugula (so all the arugula doesn't fall off), and slice it down the middle... then eat that mess up. 

You could probably use thin-sliced ham instead of prosciutto.. or maybe bacon!  I just got real excited about that idea.  I LOVE bacon.  Ok, I'm going to try this and I'll let you know. 

Also, has anyone else ever heard that slicing a sandwich releases the flavors?  Is that something someone made up and told me when I was younger?  Something like, all the vitamins are on the outside of the bread, in the crust.  Really?  It's bread baked and browned on the outside--made out of the same dough... it's not like a watermelon rind or potato skin or something.  Quit lying to me to get me to eat all the bread.  (I promise it was not my mama that told me that.. I don't remember who it was!)  But, slicing a sandwich seems a little more legitimate... at least it's easier to eat that way.. and it takes me two minutes instead of three if I were to leave it whole.  Ohhhh, the satisfaction...