Sandwiches + Preserves
I’ve been super tucked away in the Minifactory kitchen, but last week I got outside to harvest the first snips of evergreen tips from around the farm. We sent the first batches of Rhubarb Cherry Evergreen Tip Honey Conserve straight to Poppy Cafe in Burlington.
For the second year Poppy is filling their ‘Rhubarbra Streisand’ with my favorite VSP conserve. Co-owners of Poppy, Abby and Emily Portman, opened their shop during Covid and immediately started selling out of their stacked, juicy, veg forward sandwiches. They instantly established themselves as experts on crafting the perfect textural and flavor cross sections and their sammy cutaways on IG are local legend. Behold…
Abby and Emily Portman of Poppy Cafe, in front of a mural painted by Juniper Creative at 88 Oak St, a collaborative kitchen space with Cafe Mamajuana and All Souls Tortilla.
Poppy Cafe’s ‘Rhubarbara Streisand’
Prosciutto cotto, lemony asparagus salad, manchego, basil/tarragon aioli, pickled reds, watermelon radish, arugula, focaccia bread crumbs and the Rhubarb Cherry Evergreen Tip Conserve.
Sandwich Chat with Poppy Cafe
V Smiley Preserves: What came first, the Rhubarb Cherry Evergreen Tip Honey Conserve flavor or the sandwich?
Poppy Cafe: The preserve came first! We wanted to do a collaboration with V Smiley Preserves, and this was a flavor that was in season and we wanted to highlight. We spent a few weeks recipe testing until we came up with this specific combination. Our main focus was using the jam to showcase spring flavors and vegetables.
VSP: When developing new sandwiches for your menu, does a single ingredient act as a springboard? Or do you build off of a compelling pairing of flavors?
PC: It depends. We are all over the place when it comes to recipe development. In the past, we have started with an ingredient, a region of the world, colors, childhood dishes, and even funny names. It keeps things interesting for the crew!
VSP: What about this flavor do you find so appealing as a sandwich condiment?
PC: This jam is a perfect sandwich condiment. It has such a complex flavor, yet is light and easily pairable. It gives the perfect touch of sweetness while enhancing the savory elements.
VSP: Other preserve flavors and pairings you recommend everyone tries when making sandwiches at home?
PC: I love the Navel Orange Mission Fig Cardamom Marmalade. To me, a thick slice of sourdough bread with the marmalade and a swipe of cream cheese is perfection.
Take it Home
This super simple and classic flavor combo briefly appeared on the Minifactory Menu when we could get our hands on Slowfire Croissants. All those croissants are currently going to the Burlington Farmer’s Market but you can make this at home!
Pick up some local croissants, mix 1/2 tsp of dijon in 1 TBSP mayo to make the dijonaise, grab some Cherry Fennel Sherry Honey Jam, melt your favorite cheese on slices of ham while the sliced croissant warms beside the ham.
One side of the croissant interior gets dijonaise and the other gets the jam. The dijon and cherry combo is the magic! (Doooon’t skip the mustard.) Stack it all up and eat!
Bring Us Home
How do you like to stack sweet and savory? Adding marinated veggies, sharp cheeses and meats bring more texture and flavor depth.
Start simple with a grilled cheese slathered in chunky marmalade (for that bit of texture) or take a nod from Poppy and opt for a slice of fresh sourdough bread with preserves and a swipe of cream cheese.
You can get this marmalade and fresh cheese experience at Minifactory right now! Ours comes on a biscuit naturally.
