BLAFT (some say it's the best sandwich they've ever had)

At this point, I feel like it's redundant to apologize for the infrequency of my posts. I know that I am a neglectful blog-owner. It's just something I have come to accept about myself. However, I think you guys will be able to forgive me once you read today's recipe, because it's a tasty one.

I made a sandwich last night. It was an amazing sandwich. It fed my entire family, plus some girlfriends that my 17 year old brother brought over later (Hi Jess, Shay, and Caroline!!). This sandwich was inspired by a recipe sent to me by a friend, Miro, who is (more than) a regular at the bakery I work at. Hi Miro! A few weeks ago he had sent me a sandwich recipe that included a fig spread and pork belly, along with brie and some arugula. My sandwich is a little bit different, but I definitely could not have done it without his help.

My mom texted me late yesterday afternoon saying that we had bacon, avocados, and tomatoes, implying that she wanted BL(A)Ts for dinner. When I started thinking about the sandwich, I realized how similar it was to the sandwich Miro had talked to me about, and I knew I needed to find a crossroads between the two. Luckily I had a container of dried figs in the pantry, and after finding a jalapeno in the fridge, I knew what I had to do.

This recipe was pulled together pretty quickly, mostly because I grabbed the first things I saw in the kitchen. I threw all of my ingredients on a loaf of ciabatta I had in the freezer and my dinner was complete. The only thing that was better than eating it myself was watching the smiles spread across the faces of my loved ones.

Yesterday was a monumental day, because it was the birthday of the BLAFT. It will forever shape the rest of history, for me at least, but I hope it does for all you as well. #elkinthekitchen

BLAFT (Bacon Lettuce Avocado Fig Tomato) Sandwich

Ingredients
1 loaf of ciabatta bread
1 package thick cut bacon
1 beefy tomato
1 avocado
5 dried figs
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (preferably a thick, syrupy kind)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Mayonnaise
1-2 handfuls of arugula
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Cook bacon until crispy in your oven, following the directions on the package.
2. Slice ciabatta in half longways and open so insides are facing up.
3. Make the fig spread by pureeing the figs, jalapeno, balsamic, and brown sugar in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender. Add more sugar or balsamic if you'd like, but the figs are already very sweet naturally.
4. Spread mayonnaise on both pieces of bread, more or less depending on your liking (I love mayo so I always choose more). Then, spread the fig mixture on top of the mayo.
5. Thinly slice the tomatoes and avocado, and then layer them on top of the mayo and fig spread on one of the pieces of bread. This is when I grind the pepper on, because it will stick to the avocado and tomato. Next, pile the arugula on top.
6. Finally, take the strips of bacon and place them evenly on the piece of bread without the fruit and veggies on it, so that the grease soaks into the bread a bit. I know, it sound gross and delicious all at once. Trust me, it is only delicious. Carefully place the top piece of bread on the bottom to complete the masterpiece, and cut it up into reasonably sized slices. The smaller the slices, the more you can eat! That makes sense, right?
7. Enjoy outside on your porch or on a picnic blanket in a park with some lemonade and watermelon :)

Note: Regarding the title, it is true that some have said that. It was my mother. I'm not sure if that changes things for you, but it doesn't change anything for me. :)