croque monsieur

Much as I love the idea of a lean, svelte me running about town without the worry of someone noticing that I'm not a size 4 anymore (oh, there was that brief moment in time somewhere between Spring Break '08 and 700 calories a day)... I love the idea of cheese more.

And so tonight I dove into that most notable member of the grilled cheese hierarchy - Croque Monsieur.

After cheese, there are two other things that I love more than my imaginary waistline: cooking for my boy and movies where Meryl Streep is her most fabulous self (like this one which, incidentally, inspired this meal).

So anyway, I went with The Barefoot Contessa on this one, only modifying her recipe a bit by using rosemary ham (yes, ham, with rosemary, look into it) and sliced sourdough bread with crusts (both from Trader Joe's).

And much more imprecise measurements of gruyere because I cannot be held responsible for the amount of cheese I inflict on unsuspecting Indianians. And those darling little asparagus spears were a happy addition courtesy of the new Grocery Outlet in Newberg, of all places. $2 a bunch and they were delicate and tender and amazing, just lightly sauteed in a splash of olive oil, garlic salt and pepper!

Paired with a glass of our Pinot Gris, of course. Perfect "God-I-wish-it-was-spring-already" dinner.