Judith Henderson’s Wine & Country Living

A fter a great thanksgiving dinner and family not want- ing to take leftovers on the airplane, my refrigerator is stuffed with endless menu possibilities.

This time of year, I love a toasted grilled turkey and cheese sandwich and, depending on the extra fillings, I'll eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I have found it doesn't matter what kind of bread you use for a pan grilled sandwich, just be sure it's a bread of good quality and cut to a one-inch thickness. The bread's thickness lets the sandwich filling's moisture absorb and the cheese melt while the bread crisps and stays chewy.

Cheese for a melted sandwich might be mixed and mashed, I found this helps keep the melting even while watching your calorie count. For extra creaminess, I use drier soft cheese combinations like feta, blue cheese and a little cream cheese. Also, I find the extra fillings to be what defines the sandwich. You might try thinly sliced red onion, diced kalamata olives or finely chopped fresh pineapple for new dimension. Or, for a real winter's dream, a thick swipe of fig jam!

Finally, I use butter to pan-toast my sandwiches, but you might use oil too. Personally, I melt one tablespoon butter per sandwich evenly in the bottom of the pan, and place one open faced sandwich down into the hot pan to toast that one side only. I then close the sandwich and toast a little longer to melt. Remove, cut and serve.

With my toasted turkey, cheese and fig jam sandwich, I choose to pair the aromatic 2005 Walla Walla Village Winery's 2005 Winter White. This succulent whole cluster-pressed, 100% French-barreled wine is a blend of 80% chardonnay and 20% Viognier; a unique recipe melding in crisp citron notes with a ribbon of cardamom spice to soak the tongue at finish.

Walla Walla Village Winery winemaker Joel Clark, also an avid music lover, hosts a live open mic in the downtown tasting room through the winter months on Thursdays: Call 509-525- 9463. Winery: 107 South 3rd. Street, downtown Walla Walla.

Readers, until next week, "Eat Art, Drink Imagination!"

Toasted Turkey Cheese & Fig Jam Sandwich

Serves 4

8-slices 7-grain bread

8-ounces thinly sliced turkey

3-ounces each: blue cheese, feta and cream cheese mashedtogether well

4-tablespoons butter4-tablespoons fig jam

2-cups radicchio lettuce

In a fry pan, gently melt one pad butter per sandwich, spread around pan bottom. Lay down pre-built sandwiches open-faced to toast crisp, close sandwich and gently press down on top with spatula to secure melt; toast a little longer if necessary. Remove sandwich, cut and serve. Side sandwiches with crisp torn raddichio lettuce piled in seasonal fruit slices and a bottle of 2005 Walla Walla Village Winter White Wine, chilled just 20 minutes before opening, for a most "scrummy" food and wine pairing.

For more recipes, color photos and Moveable Feasts Cater- ing ideas: www.chefjudithhenderson.com.