A great big sandwich for a picnic
My favourite picnic foods are hand-held. It cuts back on dishes, cutlery and mess — which means less for you to lug around.
Enter my jumbo garden sandwich, because why make six small sandwiches, when you can make just one big one? Mine uses a whole square of focaccia bread and is stacked with grilled portobello mushrooms, bell peppers and eggplant, mozzarella cheese and thin slices of cured ham — all layered between the bread smeared with pesto and mayonnaise. Throw the whole thing on the grill to toast (and melt the cheese), then slice and serve or wrap in aluminum foil to take on the road.
Jumbo Garden Sandwich
Ricardo Tested
Grilled Vegetables
2 portobello mushrooms
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thirds
1 small eggplant, cut into ½-inch
(1 cm) slices
1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
Salt and pepper
Sandwich
1 large square flat bread or 6 x
8-inch (15 x 20 cm) ciabatta, halved horizontally
3 tbsp (45 mL) pesto
2 tbsp (30 mL) mayonnaise
5 oz (140 g) mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
6 thin slices cured ham, such as prosciutto or Bayonne
Grilled Vegetables
1. Preheat the grill, setting the burners to medium. Oil the grate.
2. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill. Cook for about 10 minutes or until tender. Let cool. Remove the skin from the pepper. Cut the pepper and mushrooms into strips and set aside. Sandwich
3. Spread the pesto and mayonnaise on the cut side of the bread. Layer with the cheese slices, ham and grilled vegetables. Close the sandwich.
4. Place the sandwich on the grill and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. With a large spatula, carefully flip the sandwich halfway through cooking so the bread is toasted on both sides. If needed, shut off the burners, close the lid and finish cooking with any residual heat to allow the cheese to melt. Let rest for 2 minutes before cutting.
Note: Square focaccia is available in some grocery stores and bakeries.
If unavailable, substitute with ciabatta buns.