Winter BLT (AKA the CBAP)

A BLT is a simple sandwich that depends on great ingredients – especially great bacon and great tomatoes – to reach the heights of deliciousness. But what to do in winter, when the available tomatoes are mealy, mushy pale things that taste like cardboard? Well, you substitute something else that can offer sweetness, juiciness, and a bit of acidity – in this case, a fuyu persimmon! Try it for a new take on an old classic. Here, we remix the BLT to highlight our newly-available Cottage Bacon. We substitute flavorful arugula for the iceberg lettuce and use a lemon aioli instead of standard mayo to add some of the tanginess that a tomato would provide.

Ingredients (for 2 sandwiches)

4 slices of high-quality sandwich bread, thick sliced if possible

4-8 slices of Flight Path Farm Cottage Bacon (depending on size of the slice and how much you like bacon)

1 Fuyu (Japanese) Persimmon, sliced crosswise into rounds

2 handfuls of arugula (rocket), washed and dried

Mayo of your choice, or Lemon Aioli (see below)

Directions

Heat a skillet over medium heat; when warm, add the cottage bacon in a single layer and fry the same way you would cook regular belly bacon; the cottage bacon will render less lard. Once warm and crisp, remove the bacon to a plate, leaving any rendered fat in the hot pan. Toast the bread slices in the hot pan, allowing them to brown and soak up the hot bacon fat. Remove the bread slices. Spread mayo or lemon aioli on one side of the bread slices, top one bread slice with bacon, sliced persimmon, and arugula, then a second piece of bread. Slice in half diagonally for an elegant presentation, or crosswise if you are a monster.

Lemon Aioli. Combine and mix until smooth: ½ cup mayo, ½ cup sour cream, juice and grated zest of one lemon, 1 T olive oil, 1/4 t dry mustard, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 T chopped fresh parsley and 1 T chopped fresh chives; season with salt and pepper to taste. The leftovers make a great alternative to tartar sauce and will keep in the fridge for several days (longer if you omit the fresh herbs).