Mushroom Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Persimmon Salad

1

Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Core the persimmon; halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Peel and medium dice the onion to get ½ cup (you will have extra). Thinly slice the fontina cheese.

2

Marinate the persimmon:

In a bowl, whisk together the juice of all 4 lemon wedges and 1 tablespoon of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Add the sliced persimmon and stir to coat. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3

Cook the mushrooms:

While the persimmon marinates, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced
mushrooms and diced
onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 6 to 8 minutes, or until softened. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the liquid has cooked off. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4

Assemble the sandwiches:

Place the bread slices on a work surface. Divide the sliced fontina cheese and cooked mushrooms between 2 of the slices; season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining slices. Wipe out the pan used to cook the mushrooms.

5

Cook the sandwiches:

In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the sandwiches and cook, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil, 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and the cheese has melted. (If the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil before flipping.) Transfer to a cutting board; immediately season with salt. When cool enough to handle, halve on an angle.

6

Make the salad & plate your dish:

Just before serving, in a large bowl, combine the arugula, parmesan
cheese, and marinated
persimmon (including the marinating liquid); season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the cooked sandwiches with the salad. Enjoy!