Le Grand Sandwich

Sometimes, I just can't help myself. I love salt. It enlivens our tastes buds, and literally piques our interest. Vegetables, even roasted ones, can taste a little bit bland. But add a little salt, and the flavour goes through the roof! Fortunately, this sandwich "rests" (you deserve it too!) before eating, so all that flavour gets to meld together into each delicious bite. It no longer tastes like zucchini, eggplant, or salt... These things can be boring on their own, but combine them in this sandwich, and you will be surprised. This is a recipe in which it is fun to experiment. Why not? It is often impossible to have all the ingredients a recipe calls for anyways. Change a few things, and make it your own. You can use a spinach pesto, a basil pesto, or a sundried tomato pesto. No pesto? No problem. I do try to make too much pesto...a great predicament to be in...so I can freeze the extras. You can also grill too many vegetables.....oooops.... and save them for salads, or soups. I generally dislike the messiness of roasting bell peppers, as it can feel unnecessarily tedious to remove the skins...so do so at your own discretion. Do cut the pieces a little smaller so you can chew through the skin without noticing. I do find that peeling roasted peppers works best when you char the things to near death, and then cover the poor dears up in a bowl with plastic wrap and wait about fifteen minutes. I can't say the same for your fingertip's when trying to peel off the skins! There are many similar recipes out there, but I love adding portobello mushrooms, for their meatiness...and of course for their ability to improve with salt! Sandwich (Serves 4 large appetites, or 8 smaller ones): 1 large ciabatta loaf (1/2) - (3/4) cup prepared pesto 2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise, about 1/8 of an inch 1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise, about 1/4 of an inch 2 red peppers 2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed, and lightly cleaned olive oil kosher salt pepper Pre-heat the BBQ. Start with the peppers, as it will take awhile to get them nicely blackened. Toss the zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms in a bowl with some olive oil, a couple tablespoons will do, and a few good pinches of salt. Grill about 2-3 minutes per side, adding a bit more salt to the mushrooms. Be patient, and wait until the grill marks have formed before trying to move the items, or they will get stuck. The vegetables will soften slightly after cooking as well. Remove the blackened peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Wait, about fifteen minutes, and then the skin should come off fairly easily. Slice into strips. Slice the mushroom as well. To assemble the sandwich, slice the loaf of bread in half. Pick out some of the extra bread, which you can freeze in a zip bag for breadcrumbs..very handy. Use a grapefruit spoon to help your humble cause, but don't get too concerned. Spread the bottom half with pesto, and layer the cooled vegetables on top. Does the pesto contain a decent amount of salt? How about the veggies? Taste them, and don't worry if there are enough. Sprinkle a little more salt, if necessary. Okay, and some pepper too. Keep in mind that there are not any pre-fabricated, nearly plastic like sauces or deli meats...there isn't much sodium other than what you add...so go ahead and don't worry about it. Drizzle a litte olive oil over the inner top half of the loaf. The only really tricky part: Securely wrap the entire sandwich in plastic wrap. Place it on a cookie sheet (preferably small enough to fit in the fridge), and cover with something heavy (cutting board with a cast-iron skillet on top). Wait at least one hour (go for a nap!), but no more than three. Unwrap your glorious goodie and slice it up. It is pretty isn't it? Devour.
Add Post To: | | | | | | | | |