By Kathryn Reed

Summer always seems like sandwich season to me. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a cold sandwich.

One of my favorite hot sandwiches is grilled cheese. While we don’t have a panini maker, we do have an indoor grill of sorts that Sue uses for grilled cheese when she isn’t making them on the barbecue.

The thing that can make them different is trying various cheeses, add a layer of pesto, fresh basil, tomatoes, avocado slices – the possibilities are endless.

Truckee River Winery just started offering food this year. Tasting wine with a panini equals perfection. Chef Willy Carroll, who usually works at the Tahoe Mountain Club, helps out at the winery on bocce night. We happened to be there on such a Monday night.

Plenty of sandwich shops abound. Where do you recommend going or what do you make at home?

I just tried something new for me, but it’s an oldie.

On occasion I can tell I have not had enough protein. Last week was one of those occasions. Instead of my usual veggie burger or scrambled eggs I decided to make an egg salad sandwich.

At my age, I probably should have made one of these before. Well, I hadn’t – so I winged it. And what came out was pretty darn good.

I just remember loving the egg salad sandwiches my mom would make for my school lunches. So often they were served on homemade hamburger buns. I am still a bit fearful of making breads, but maybe when mom comes up this summer I will get another lesson. She is the expert.

Of course the mixture could just be a salad and not made into a sandwich. Skipping the bread would make it healthier. And adding more horseradish would give it more kick.

 Sierra Egg Salad

5 hard boiled eggs

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp horseradish

4 T light mayonnaise

1 small tomato, chopped

Chop the eggs and place into a bowl big enough to mix all ingredients. Add the next three ingredients. Taste; adjust until the flavor is to your liking. Add tomato.

Serve on toasted multigrain bread.

This makes two-plus sandwiches – depends how hungry you are.