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© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Bob
Basil Vinaigrette, recipe below
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
Several inner stalks of celery, diced
4 scallions, white parts only plus a few greens, minced
4 to 6 marinated artichoke hearts, quartered and roughly chopped
1 large red bell pepper, grilled, peeled, and sliced
15-20 Nicoise olives, pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons pine nuts, pan roasted until lightly browned
4 ounces fresh or smoked mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 loaf ciabatta
Prepare the vinaigrette and set it aside.
Cut the cores out of the tomatoes, slice them in half horizontally, and gently squeeze out the seeds and juice. Chop them coarsely into pieces about ½ inch square. [Bob's Note: I just core and chop the tomatoes; I like the seeds and juice.]
Combine the tomatoes with the other vegetables and the pine nuts, and dress with the vinaigrette. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Cut off the top third of the loaf. Pull out the soft bread inside and save it for bread crumbs. Take care to leave the bottom of the loaf intact. Layer the vegetables and the cheese in the hollowed loaf and replace the top. Press the sandwich between two sheet pans, then wrap and let it sit for about an hour, so the flavors can mingle.
Basil Vinaigrette
1 cup basil leaves (loosely packed), roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
6 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Parmesan or Romano cheese, freshly grated
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Purée the basil and garlic in a blender with the olive oil. Scrape it into a bowl, add the cheese, then add the vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.