It is almost embarrassing to say that my favorite meal that we had in Ireland was essentially a grilled cheese sandwich…but a good grilled cheese sandwich is nothing to snub, and this one came from a farm to table restaurant housed within one of the oldest farmers markets in the world, the Farmgate Cafe inside the English Market in Cork.  Made with great aged white Irish cheddar and loads of local farm to table tomatoes and mushrooms, grilled just perfectly with good Irish buttered bread with a side of sweet and sour cucumbers.

The Farmgate Cafe

And, super easy to make….

Recipe:

Toasted Irish Cheddar Sandwich with Portobello Mushrooms and Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2 sliced good white bread – Texas toast would be perfect here
2 oz aged white Irish cheddar
1 large vine ripe tomato – sliced thin
1 large Portobello mushroom – grilled until soft with a bit of olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Black pepper

Preparation:
Butter one side of each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon butter.  Preheat a 10 inch skillet.  Slice the cheese into thin strips and layer on the bottom of both sides of the bread. Layer the tomatoes on top of one piece of the bread and cheese then add the mushrooms and a good dash of black pepper.  Top with the other slice of bread.  Add the 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the pan and grill until nicely toasted on each side, about 2 minutes on each side. Cut in half and serve.