Vegetarian Muffuletta on Focaccia
Ingredients
Cauliflower Giadiniera
Makes 4-6 jars
- 1½ lbs cauliflower, cut into small florets (to fit nicely into a teaspoon)
- ½ lb carrots, sliced into thin discs
- ¼ lb baby red onions, peeled and halved
- ¼ lb celery, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 4 cups (1 liter) white wine vinegar
- 2 cups (500 milliliters) water
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Olive oil, for topping jars
Mufaletta
- 1 loaf of focaccia, about 9x13, or a 9-inch round
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 eggplant, thinly sliced
- 2 jarred roasted red peppers
- 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
- 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives (or your favorite pitted green olive)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 pickled pepperoncini peppers, stems and seeds removed, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for roasting the carrots and cauliflower
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus an extra splash to season the cauliflower
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1-1½ cups cauliflower giardiniera
- 1 handful basil leaves
- ¼ pound aged provolone, thinly sliced
- ¼ pound fresh mozzarella, as thinly sliced as possible
- 1 large handful arugula
Directions
Cauliflower Giadiniera
- Clean and prepare the vegetables. In a large pot, combine the vinegar and water. Add the bay leaves, cloves, salt and sugar and bring to a simmer.
- Cook each type of vegetable separately in the vinegar mixture, until they are bright and beginning to get tender but still crunchy. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and set aside until all the vegetables are cooked.
- Distribute the vegetables evenly in sterilized jars and pack in well. You want the jars completely filled with very little space between the veg.
- Cover with olive oil and put lids on tightly. To seal the jars, place the filled jars in a stock pot of simmering water (make sure the jars are covered by an inch or two of water—you can add more water if necessary). Bring to a boil and after a minute, take off the heat. Carefully remove the jars with a jar lifter (or tongs) and place on a heat-proof surface lined with a tea towel to let cool completely.
- At this point they’re ready to enjoy, or you can store jars in a cool, dark place for 6 months. Once opened, store in refrigerator and eat within 5 days.
Mufaletta
- Add the capers, olives, garlic, pepperoncini peppers, and the 1/2 cup of olive oil to a food processor, and pulse until the ingredients are roughly chopped. Transfer the pulsed ingredients to a large mixing bowl, and add the red wine vinegar, fennel seeds, dried oregano, celery seeds, chili flakes, and shallot. Fold all the ingredients together. Keep in mind that some excess oil is a good thing—it will soak into the bread and make the sandwich delicious. Taste the olive mixture. It should taste strongly acidic, salty, and spicy. Adjust the flavor with more salt or red wine vinegar as necessary. Set the mixture aside.
- Slice the bread in half with a serrated knife. If the bread seems too tall, use the serrated knife to trim away some of the middle of the bread. Spread the olive mixture onto both halves of the bread, allowing some of the extra oil to soak into the bread. Starting with the bottom piece of bread, lay down the carrots, followed by the cauliflower. Tear the basil leaves with your hands and place them on top of the cauliflower. Next, add the provolone, followed by the roasted red peppers. Place a handful of arugula onto the top piece of bread. If there is excess oil leftover from your olive mixture, drizzle some of this over the arugula. Close the sandwich, slice it into wedges, and enjoy.
Beet & Sweet Potato Sandwiches
There’s a bit of work involved in this sandwich, but the finished product is something much greater than the sum of its parts. It’s a delicious celebration of fall vegetables that is deeply satisfying.
Makes 2
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato (about 12 oz.), peeled, sliced lengthwise into ¼“–½“-thick planks
- 1 tsp chil powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp good olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 medium beet, peeled and grated or cut into thin matchsticks
- ½ small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 ciabatta rolls, split
- 1½ cups of parsley, mint, and/or cilantro leaves combined
- 5 oz feta, thinly sliced
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine sweet potato, chil powder, cumin, and olive oil in a medium bowl; season generously with salt and pepper and toss until sweet potato is evenly coated with the spices. Heat a dry large oven-proof skillet (preferably cast iron), over medium. Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer without overlapping. You may need to do this in two batches. Cook, undisturbed, until blackened in spots, about 4 minutes. Turn slices over and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until tender for 10–15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, combine beet, onion, and vinegar in a medium bowl; season generously with salt and pepper and toss well. Allow beets to sit for a while to soften and drink in the vinaigrette. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and 1 tbsp lemon juice and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat broiler. Toast rolls, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown, 30–60 seconds. Remove rolls from oven.
- Toss herbs with remaining 1 tsp lemon juice in a medium bowl to coat. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss again to combine.
- To build sandwiches, pour off any accumulated liquid from beet mixture. Spread seasoned mayonnaise over cut sides of reserved rolls, dividing evenly (be generous and use all of the mayo, it’s worth it!). Arrange feta slices over bottom halves of rolls. Top with sweet potato slices and pile some beet mixture on top. Mound herbs over beets; close up sandwiches with top halves of rolls and slice in half.
Indian Club Sandwich
This is a version of a very popular Indian sandwich. It’s got layers of vegetables and all the things you love in a good toasty.
Makes 4
Ingredients
- 12 slices white sandwich bread
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut into thin slices
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 small tomatoes, sliced
- 1 raw beet, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
- 4oz old white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup coriander chutney (homemade or store bought)
- 2 tbsp chaat masala
- 4 tbsp butter, for spreading, as required
- Hot and sweet ketchup, for serving
Directions
- Butter four bread slices, then arrange them butter-side down on a cutting board. Spread each slice with thin layer of the chutney. Place an even layer of the sliced potatoes on top of the chutney and sprinkle generously with chaat masala.
- Next spread the cucumber slices evenly over the potatoes and sprinkle lightly with chaat masala. Repeat with beet slices and chaat masala.
- Butter another four slices of bread and place the buttered side on top of the beets. Butter the other side of the bread and arrange the slices of cheese evenly on the buttered bread. Layer the tomatoes on top of cheese and sprinkle with remaining chaat masala.
- Spread the last four remaining slices of bread with the rest of the chutney and place them chutney side down on top of the tomatoes. Spread the other side with butter.
- Heat a nonstick pan to medium heat and place two sandwiches in the pan. Toast for 3-4 minutes on each side, until they’re golden and lightly crisp. Carefully flip the sandwiches and toast for another 3-4 minutes on the second side.
- Remove from heat and slice on the diagonal (this is important). Eat with additional green chutney or hot and sweet ketchup.