My teenage years in Mount Airy, NC were spent with my Dad as an invalid. Due to his age and other reasons I had hardly known him while I was growing up. I was fortunate to get "adopted" by a number of adult males along the way. Their advice and support helped me survive my teenage years. One was great southern fisherman named Hal. He had a place at Claytor Lake here in Virginia. It wasn't that long of a drive even on the old roads that we had to use in those days, Route 52 and Route 100. I can't remember where his place was exactly, but I remember we turned off onto a small road directly from Route 100. I don't believe much of Interstate 81 was done in those days except close to Roanoke.
Wonder of wonders, Hal had a pontoon boat. It wasn't as nice as these new ones listed for sale, but for a desperate young fisherman who had been confined to the shores for the most of his life, it was like a chariot from heaven. Those were magical times trolling up and down Claytor Lake catching the odd Walleye or catfish. I don't ever remember us having one of those days when you catch more fish than you think is possible, but I can remember the beauty of the surroundings and having lots of fun.
Hal had a small cabin on the lake, and we would finish our day with some high quality food, Bologna and Cheese sandwiches. Hal would fry the bologna, melt the cheese on top of it, add some tomatoes and mayonnaise for what seemed to be a gourmet meal after spending much of the day on the lake.
Over the years, I have refined my Bologna & Cheese sandwich recipe. I usually only enjoy a few a year after we have run through all the regular tomato sandwiches we can eat and have had as many Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwiches as we dare.
I long ago gave up frying the bologna. After heating fat free bologna in the toaster oven for a few years, this year I have moved on to Applegate Farms nitrite free turkey bologna. Instead of melting 2% American slices on the bologna, I have gone with very thin slices of a fancier cheese, Parrano, and decided that heating is no longer necessary. The Parrano cheese is well described on the web site.
This cheese tastes like a combination of gouda and parmesan cheese, mellow, buttery and nutty. It retains the smooth texture of gouda, but has the nuttiness of parmesan...
The base of the sandwich is seedless rye bread, my favorites being either from Whole Foods or a Russian Rye version that is available here in Roanoke in our market at On the Rise Bakery. I lightly toast the bread, cover one slice with Duke's Mayonnaise (light will work, and I have used Kraft) and the other with mustard. Grey Poupon Horseradish Mustard is a nice fancy choice if you can find it. Then add two or three slices of the bologna and the thin slices of cheese. The final touch is some homegrown tomatoes. Hal would probably turn over in his grave with the changes, but they let me enjoy the taste of childhood classic without some of the guilt that might otherwise follow me.
Update- The older you get, the greater the appeal of basic recipes. During the last couple of years, I have enjoyed bologna and cheese sandwiches without the frills. I also learned that there is no such things as nitrite free deli-meat and if you are going to eat bologna why bother with fat free? Age brings a measure of wisdom I suppose. We now have a nearly indispensable electric frying pan. I put a dab of butter in the pan and a couple of slices of good deli-bologna (I prefer mine fresh sliced and it is often cheaper). Once the bologna has browned a little on the first side, I flip it over and add whatever is my favorite cheese of the week to each slice of bologna. Anything from processed American to cheddar and beyond works. As for bread, I prefer something with a little substance but once again whatever you have works and sometimes I even toast the bread. I put mayonnaise on one piece of bread and mustard (whatever we have) on the other. The bologna goes on the piece of bread with mustard. On the mayonnaise side add lots of homegrown tomatoes along with salt and pepper. Take the plate and a few napkins to the table and enjoy. It is easy to customize this sandwich to your personal tastes.
Horseradish Sauce Recipe:
Ingredients: sour cream, grated onion, prepared horseradish, salt... view the recipe
http://www.horseradish-sauce-recipe.w8w.pl
Posted by: philip | February 06, 2007 at 05:16 PM
My dad used to make bologna, cheese, and tomato sandwiches when I was little. In fact, I am eating one right now. Maybe I'll try your new recipe. XD
Posted by: cakehead | September 20, 2007 at 02:08 PM
My dad used to make bologna, cheese, and tomato sandwiches when I was little. In fact, I am eating one right now. Maybe I'll try your new recipe. XD
Posted by: cakehead | September 20, 2007 at 02:09 PM
You all should stop using sentiment to eat flesh. My Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad ...
Posted by: Richard | March 12, 2012 at 03:21 AM