BLT Sliders with Peach and Cornmeal Crumble

There's no denying it- tonight's menu is a last grasp at summer.  If the menu didn't confirm it, today's weather certainly did.  Cool, wet and blustery with dramatic and shifting skies, autumn blew in with gusto and announced she's here to stay.  Michigan peaches were still plentiful at the farmer's market  ($1/lb for a bulk purchase!) but the vendor warned they might be out by the weekend.  Tomatoes... well, the fleeting season that was tomato season this year is nearing its end.  The overflowing bin of Illinois-grown tomatoes that sustained us at Stanley's all summer has vanished.  One small bin in the rear of the store held miniature local tomatoes which we surmise to be the last  plucked from the vines before the frosts move in.  (Serendipitously, they were perfectly sized for our BLT sliders.)

And about those BLT sliders...  let's talk about stumbling into a fan favorite!  With no other motive than to augment a hearty and filling soup (a reserved double-batch of sweet corn chowder from our last session) with something appropriately portioned, we employed the bar snack phenomenon of the decade: the slider.  Costco stocks 36-count bags of freshly baked dinner rolls that slice perfectly and toast into buttery goodness (think: Grandma's holiday table- an uncharacteristic departure from our commitment whole wheat, but truly, we could not find whole wheat slider rolls in bulk last evening!) With a simple flavored mayo and a good strong slice of cheese, the BLT turns warm and savory rather than crisp and tangy.  As it turns out, a delectable toasty sandwich is just right for a cool September night.

And to wrap it up, our last affair with summer peaches was all that we hoped for.  We came upon this rustic cake from Martha Stewart several years ago and have yet to seek another recipe.  There's something about warm peaches and cornmeal that's perfectly paired and infinitely comforting.  (We do omit the lavender for simplicity, but imagine you could find it at the Spice House on Wells.)  To take the recipe from 8 servings to 32, we greatly increase the amount of peaches and halve the amount of cake.  The flavors stay intact, but the baking time decreases and the end result is more fruit crumble than hefty dessert.  Best of all, the peaches shine in their starring role-- a fine way to bid farewell to summer food.  Enjoy!

BLT Sliders

Serves 36 persons with two sliders each

• 2 x 36-count bags of freshly baked dinner rolls
• 36 slices (about 36 oz) of sliced sharp cheddar cheese, each slice cut in half
• 32 oz nitrate-free pork or turkey bacon (roughly 36 slices), baked in the oven until crisp
• 4 lbs small ripe summer tomatoes, thickly sliced to yield 72 slices
• 3 cups mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup finely minced dill pickles OR 1/4 cup pickle relish
• 1 lb mixed baby lettuce OR mesculin greens
• 8 oz prepared olive oil vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard and relish.  Set aside.  Cut cheese slices in half.  Slice tomatoes and set atop a colander to drain until ready to use.

Slice dinner rolls in half horizontally.  Arrange rolls in a single layer on three full size commercial sheet pans, cut side up.  Top one half of each dinner roll with a slice of cheese and spread a generous layer of the mayonnaise mixture on the other half.

Break each strip of cooked bacon in half.  Lay a half strip of bacon atop each slice of cheese.  Top the other half of the dinner roll with a tomato slice.

Bake the sliders for approximately five minutes in a commercial convection oven or until the buns have lightly toasted and cheese has softened.  Remove from oven and assemble the sliders by putting the two halves together.

While sliders are baking, toss the lettuce with the vinaigrette.  Serve the sliders hot from the oven with a generous bunch of greens on the side for stuffing into the slider as desired. 

Peach and Cornmeal Crumble

Serves 32

• 16 TBS + 8 TBS unsalted butter, divided and softened to room temperature
• 1 cup + 1-1/2 cups raw (unbleached) sugar, divided
• 20 ripe but firm summer peaches
• 2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal or polenta
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a warm oven, melt 8 tablespoons butter in a full size hotel pan.  Remove pan from oven and use a pastry brush to coat the sides of pan with the melted butter.  Sprinkle 1 cup sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan and return to oven.  Cook until sugar starts to bubble and turn golden brown.  Remove pan from oven and arrange sliced peaches in a single layer in the bottom of the pan on top of the sugar.  Return pan to oven and cook until juices are bubbling and peaches begin to soften. 

Meanwhile, whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing  bowl.  In a separate bowl, beat the remaining butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Mix in vanilla and cream or buttermilk.  Reduce speed to low, and fold in cornmeal mixture in 2 additions.

Drop large spoonfuls of batter over cooked peaches, and spread gently with a spatula.  Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.  (If crumble begins to darken before cooking fully, cover and continue baking.)  Allow to rest briefly before serving.

To serve, ladle a generous scoop of peaches and crumble onto each plate.  If feeling very decadent, serve a la mode.