The Benefits of Retirement – Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches with Pesto and Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

I am hesitant to talk about the current state of my garden in the same way that when traveling I don’t discuss the traffic, lest a sea of red taillights appears around the next bend in the highway. I don’t want to jinx anything. But I will say that with retirement, despite a million other projects, including starting a new business as a personal chef, I have extra time to focus on the garden, try techniques I have heard about for years, and enjoy the rewards. The results have been satisfying and tasty.

This year’s garden has been more lush and prosperous than ever. My plants are larger and appear healthier, and the harvest bigger than usual. And it is generally simple actions – many that I knew for years I should have been taking – that have allowed this result. I am now able to give my garden additional care and focus, granted by the gift of time.

For example, I reduced the number of tomato plants in my raised beds and spaced them farther apart so they get greater air flow. Along with trimming lower branches and tying them up more frequently for support, this lets the leaves and stems dry out faster, reducing the likelihood of disease setting in. In addition, I pruned the suckers or side shoots that grow in the crotch between the main stem and branches, so energy goes towards fruit production rather than foliage. The result has been a significant increase in tomatoes.

I pinched off early flowers for longer on my peppers and eggplants to give them time to grow larger before they put energy into setting fruit. With a larger number of leaves, the bigger plants capture added sunlight, which lets them over time sport vastly more flowers – and eventually fruit – than in years past. These plants are taller and more prosperous than ever before.

With a new supplier for potatoes my crop is double what I’ve ever gotten before, and because of properly pruning my basil plants (cutting the central stem a quarter inch above where two side leaves emerge opposite of each other) I have noticed far greater growth than usual. The roots on my beets have had space to grow bigger because I appropriately thinned them when they were young. Fewer plants, but an overall increased reward.

While I have always weeded, watered, and fertilized, with the extra time and flexibility of my new schedule, I can now give the garden attention whatever day of the week it is needed, rather than waiting until the weekend. I can water on a weekday in early morning (allowing plants to dry quicker, thereby reducing disease), for instance, which I could never do during the busy week. The plants seem happier for it. And I have additional time to notice and research plant diseases and pests and therefore search for and test solutions. For example, my roofer Elmer suggested years ago that I spray my apples with a dilute solution of apple cider vinegar to control sooty blotch disease. While it affects neither taste nor edibility of the apples, this blight makes them unappealing to consume. I was finally able to try it this year, and so far, there is no sign of the ugly fungus.

Of course, I must be careful, lest I speak too soon. There’s still plenty of time left in the gardening season for disaster. After all, I harvest into November, and sometimes beyond. As with every year, there will still be surprises, failures, and disappointments and you never know when the 10 plagues will show up. For example, I worry about potential devastation from the invasive spotted lanternfly, which has appeared on Long Island in significant numbers for the first time this summer. I fear that the gains I have made will be wiped away at any moment. I am concerned about the effects of longer periods without rain, and heavier, more damaging downpours when it does occur, the result of human-caused climate change. And one can never control all variables, like the year a huge branch fell during a storm taking out over half of my tomato plants.

After roughly 35 years of gardening, there’s still a ton to learn and strategies to implement to make my garden even better. For example, I need to pay more attention to pests such as the cabbage worms that I ignored this summer until it was too late, the heads eaten through with holes and no longer salvageable. I need to address garlic diseases, resulting in only about 50 heads harvested, while double that amount rotted in the ground. I must be open to experimenting with new crops and plant varieties, including retrying those that were unsuccessful in the past, to add diversity to the abundance we already enjoy. And I want to expand pickling and preservation so we can take advantage of the bounty year-round, not just at harvest time.

Prior to retirement I had neither the time nor the energy to provide the full level of care my garden deserved or to try new things. That doesn’t mean my garden was unsuccessful. Rather, it fed us quite well. But it is different now. Now I have time to pay more attention to my plants and experiment, and the rewards are greater than ever before. I hope I didn’t just jinx things.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches with Pesto and Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

A favorite way to enjoy my garden bounty is to grill vegetables as a side dish for a family meal. But those grilled vegetables can also be the star of the show, by layering them between two halves of a toasted roll for a satisfying summer sandwich.

These sandwiches make for a perfect family lunch, but they are even better when cooking for a crowd. The grilling can be done before your guests arrive, allowing for a relaxed meal, and serving more people allows for a wider selection of choices without waste. In addition, since your guests will customize their own meal with the variety you make available, it perfectly suits everyone, regardless of food allergies and preferences. Vegetarians will skip chicken, vegans can skip the cheese, and everyone will still have a fully satisfying meal.

Of course, there are no hard and fast rules here; the variety of selections to offer is entirely up to you. If your aim is fully vegetarian or vegan, skip the cheese and grilled chicken altogether. If someone is allergic to nuts, switch out pesto for sundried tomato paste or olive tapenade. If you find fresh mozzarella boring, sub in feta for a saltier bite. And if beautifully ripe summer tomatoes are available, add a thick juicy slice if that makes you happy. Keep the focus on the vegetables; make them the star of the show, especially if you are lucky enough to grow your own.

Serves 4, about 30 minutes

1 large or 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced into ¼ to ½-inch thick rounds

1 small eggplant, cut into ½-inch thick rounds

2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, seeded and cut into 4 wedges

1 green zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds or planks

1 yellow zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds or planks

2 or 3 portobello mushrooms, cap cut crosswise into ½-inch thick slices

½ cup olive oil, plus more if needed

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ cup pesto

½ to 1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced into ¼-inch thick slices

4 ciabatta rolls, sliced down the middle

Optional additions and/or substitutions:

thin sliced grilled chicken breast

fresh garden tomato, sliced

avocado slices

sprouts

sun dried tomato paste

olive tapenade

balsamic glaze

feta cheese

arugula

1. Before starting, read about grilling vegetables.
2. Prepare your grill for two-zone cooking. One side should be ripping hot with direct heat, while the other side should be out of direct heat of the flame, so the vegetables can finish cooking inside if the outside cooks faster. If cooking over charcoal, bank the hot coals on one side of the grill. If using a gas grill, heat one or two burners on high, leaving one or two burners completely off or on low.
3. Wash, dry (so vegetables sear, not steam), and slice all vegetables in preparation for grilling.
4. Stir oil and salt together in a small bowl.
5. Start with vegetables that will take the longest and brush one side of each piece with a thin coating of oil. Place flat on the grill, oil side down, and do not disturb until ready to flip. Repeat with remaining vegetables.
6. When each piece is cooked to your liking on the bottom, brush the top with a thin coating of oil. Flip and cook until done, covering grill and moving to the cooler part of the grill as necessary to cook vegetables through and prevent scorching. Remove from heat and place on a platter. Vegetables can be eaten hot or at room temperature.
7. If using chicken breast, cook in the same way, brushing with oil and grilling one side at a time until cooked through.
8. Spread a thick schmear of pesto (or sundried tomato paste or olive tapenade) to cover the inside of the bottom piece of sliced ciabatta roll, toasted or not. Layer on slices of fresh mozzarella and vegetables. Cover with top piece of roll and enjoy.

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