It’s back-to-school time, and that means lunches packed with tasty sandwiches. These grilled vegetable sandwiches are wonderful for a relaxed Labor Day picnic in your backyard, in a lunch box or for a weekend barbecue.
Things have changed since the basic tuna or chicken salad on whole wheat was considered an upscale lunch. Now you can get as creative as you want. I was thinking that today when I went in to have lunch at my local cheese shop. I ordered a turkey sandwich; what I got was a sandwich with red-pepper mayonnaise and California blue melting cheese with smoked turkey on a crisp, warm, grilled French roll. For added texture, the filling was dotted with Spanish Marcona almonds, which turned out to be a nice surprise.
Grilled vegetable sandwiches can get pretty interesting, too, depending on which vegetables you choose and what you spread on the bread. This luscious mixed-vegetable and cheese sandwich is good with French or sour-dough rolls, or with slices of focaccia. Make sure to select a good-quality pesto (or make up a batch of mine) when creating this Mediterranean-style sandwich.
The key to perfect grilled vegetables
is to make sure they are branded with grill marks on the outside and just cooked through inside. The grill should be medium-high so the vegetables can cook evenly. To vary the sandwich, try grilled onion slices, portobello mushrooms or even peeled avocado halves. Thick slices of ripe, colorful tomatoes are a great addition as well. Serve some good-quality potato chips alongside, and you have a satisfying main course.
Sandwich-making tips:
• Grill the vegetables ahead, and assemble just before serving.
• If peeling peppers is too much work, look for jarred peeled peppers. Make sure to rinse them and then slice into 1/2-inch strips.
• Use any flavored mayonnaise or pesto to spread on the bread; think garlic, red-pepper or basil mayonnaise.
• Try out different rolls from your favorite bakery.
• Add thinly sliced grilled chicken breast or flank steak as an addition to the vegetables.
• Vary the fresh mozzarella with burrata, goat cheese, brie or pepper jack cheese.
• Serve these warm and grilled on a grill pan or at room temperature. If you are grilling them, use a weight to press them down for even cooking.
Grilled Vegetable and Cheese Sandwiches With Pesto
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 red peppers or jarred red peppers
3 Japanese eggplants, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick length pieces
3 zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick length pieces
Olive-oil spray
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3/4 cup favorite basil or sun-dried tomato pesto (see second recipe)
6 large sour-dough rolls, French rolls or your favorite sandwich rolls, cut in half
Salt and pepper
Directions:
If using fresh red peppers, prepare the barbecue for medium-high-heat grilling. Grill the peppers about 4 inches from the heat until the skin is blistered and slightly charred on all sides. Always use long tongs to turn the peppers. Never pierce the pepper, or the juices will escape.
Put the peppers in a brown paper bag, and close it tightly. Let the peppers steam for 10 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bag, and drain them. Peel off the charred skin with your fingers. Make a slit in each pepper, and open it up. Core, and cut off the stem. Scrape the seeds and ribs from the peppers. Cut the peppers with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter into 1/2-inch-thick length strips. Set aside.
Spray the eggplant and zucchini slices with olive oil, and grill on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables have grill marks and feel soft. Remove to a side platter.
Arrange the peppers and cheese slices on plates or wax paper so you can easily assemble the sandwiches.
Spread each roll half with a tablespoon of pesto (see second recipe). Place the eggplant on top of the bread; then continue to layer with the zucchini, peppers and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the top bread on the sandwich, and cut in half, if desired. Store in an airtight container or in air-tight plastic bags until serving. These can be made up to 4 hours ahead before serving.
Diane’s Fresh Basil Pesto
Makes about 1 1/4 cups
Ingredients:
2 medium garlic cloves
2 cups medium-packed fresh basil leaves (about 2 medium bunches)
1/2 cup parsley leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
While the motor is running, add the garlic cloves to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until pureed. Add the basil and parsley, and process until finely chopped. Add the pine nuts, and finely chop.
With the blades turning, slowly pour in the olive oil in a fine stream. Add pepper.
Just before serving, add the cheese, and process until well-blended. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate the pesto in a tightly covered container until ready to use.
Advance preparation: Can be prepared 1 week ahead through Step 2, covered and refrigerated. Add cheese just before serving.
Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including Seriously Simple Parties, and is a James Beard Award-winning radio-show host. Contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.