It is a grilled cheese kinda day!

May Day has been celebrated in Ireland since pagan times as the feast of Bealtaine (Irish word for MAY) and in latter times as St. Mary's day. We noticed earlier today that a bonfire was lit at the top of our road and when we asked why we were told it was to acknowledge the coming of summer and to banish the long nights of winter!!! Wooooooo Hoooooooo!

That being said, it is kind of a crappy (almost wintry) day here in good old Galway. Most business are closed today as it is a bank holiday so the Chef and I enjoyed a very leisurely morning sans little ones as they overnighted at Granny's last night (THANK GOD for GRANNY!!!) so we could enjoy an evening with our local SlowFood group. This morning, I headed into town to do a little grocery shopping before stopping by my Mum's to bring our babies back home, whilst the Chef began rekindling a passion he has distanced himself from for quite some years - he went to 'throw some clay' with the intention of making a few select pieces for his 'missus' as he has affectionately been calling me lately.

After getting the children home and unwound from all the excitement and sugar (no need to deny it Catherine) and with a hungry Chef on his way home from the pottery studio - I decided it was a grilled cheese kind of day. I think that my eardrums still hurt from the shrieks of glee from the crumb catchers. One would think this is an easy task - throwing together a few pieces of cheese and bread for 2 people and a few little ones, but NO! In our family it is never easy when it comes to food. The children (for example) like their grilled cheese sambo's with JAM?? Late last year, we had gotten a lovely load of damson plums and I had made a few jars of onion damson jam. After carefully selecting their cheeses (usually Gruyere with a dollop of fresh mozzarella), they butter both sides (outside of bread) then I throw them on the pan to fry on both sides. As soon as the cheese starts to ooooooooze out - we plop a dollop of jam on top and off they go. Food heaven for the brats.

As much as I do not 'hate' cooking for my darling Chef, sometimes he can be a little demanding. See, he likes a trio of cheese in his. Mozzarella is the most important, Gruyere and always some goat or sheep's milk hard cheese. Mayonnaise on the inside of the bread with mustard (Coleman's English) then a spray of olive oil on the outside of the bread - assuming I do not have any duck fat to fry it in. Yes, I did have some duck fat :-)

Now, after all this effort and the sandwich looking good, take it and hack it to pieces and fry the heck out of it again until it is crunchy and brown - like a grilled cheese crouton. Dump said croutons on top of a huge bed of spring salad and green onions picked from his lordships garden this morning and be assured the hungry chef will be happy for the rest of the day!

Mine is just so boring. I like good old fashioned aged cheddar. No mayo, no butter. Just all cheese a little melty with toast a little burnt. Thrown on a plate with some of the lovely salad we are growing makes for a lovely snack on a day like today!

That is all the WiseWords I have for today!

WiseMóna