Eat This Now: The grilled asparagus and smoked gouda sandwich from Ash & Bleu Cheese Company
Bethany Helms’ vintage Ash & Bleu Cheese Company trailer pops up at various places around town, but the easiest place to reliably find it is the Overland Park Farmer’s Market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. There, you can taste and purchase fresh farmstead cheeses from places like Hemme Brothers Creamery in Sweet Springs, Missouri, and Prairie Fruits Farm in Champaign, Illinois. We’re here this month, however, to recommend Helms’ grilled cheese sandwiches, made with Ibis Bakery’s perfect chewy sourdough. (Helms herself is an Ibis alum.) Though you can order the very good “Plain Jane,” which comes with three types of cheese (including Hemme Brothers cheese curds), or a wonderful ham and cheese with fried egg, our favorite is the grilled asparagus and smoked gouda sandwich. Served on Ibis sourdough that’s been buttered and crisped to perfection on the griddle, the sandwich features thin spears of tender, farm-fresh asparagus, gooey smoked gouda and — because it’s a cheese truck, after all — house-made roasted red pepper cream cheese. It is crunchy, savory, and tangy: cheese heaven.
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