Low Country Muffuletta Food

MUFFULETTA

Steps:

• Combine the kalamata olives, green olives, basil, garlic and oil in a food processor or blender and process until coarsely chopped.
• Cut the top from the bread loaf and hollow out the center so that about 1/2 inch of crust remains. Spread olive mixture evenly over the inside of the loaf. Layer the salami, cheese, tomatoes and onion until the loaf is full.
• Replace top of bread, lightly press down and wrap tightly in plastic wrapping. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day. Slice crosswise in about 1 1/2 inch pieces, and serve.

MUFFULETTA

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, basil, and garlic and pulse until finely chopped.
• Add the 2 tablespoons of the oil and process until smooth.
• Season the pesto with salt and pepper.
• Set aside.
• Preheat grill.
• Brush the bell peppers, zucchini and eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill over a medium-high heat or broil for 12 to 15 minutes, turning, until lightly charred all over and very tender.
• Transfer the bell peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool.
• Peel, core and seed the bell peppers and cut into quarters.
• Set aside.
• Slice open the baguette and discard the center, leaving a scant 1/2-inch of bread all around.
• Spread a thin layer of pesto on both sides of the baguette.
• Layer each ingredient in this order: half the eggplant, half the zucchini, half the roasted pepper, 4 slices mortadella folded in half, 4 slices provolone cut in half, the arugula.
• Top with the remaining ingredients in reverse order, this makes for a good looking sandwich!
• Press the other half baguette on top, press down the sandwich firmly and roll it in parchment paper.
• Tie with string at four equal intervals to make four equal-sized sandwich sections.
• Slice the sandwich between the strings to make four sandwiches.

MUFFULETTA (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• For the olive salad, mix everything together. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
• To make the sandwich: Drain olive salad, saving the marinade. Cut the bread in half horizontally and remove most of the soft interior. Brush both inside pieces of the bread with the reserved marinade.
• Place half of the olive salad in the bottom half of the hollowed-out bread. Top it with the cold cuts. Put on the rest of the olive salad. Put top half of bread on top of it all.
• Wrap in plastic wrap. Put it between two dinner plates. (It might work best to turn the top plate upside down, depending on if the plates have any curvature to them or not.) Put 2 or 3 heavy cans on top of it to work as weights. (Mufuletta is pressed-down sandwich). Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
• To serve, unwrap and cut into wedges.

MUFFULETTA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 14 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours. , Cut bread in half horizontally; carefully hollow out top and bottom, leaving a 1-in. shell (discard removed bread or save for another use). Spoon half the olive mixture over bottom half of bread. Layer with salami, ham, mortadella, Swiss and provolone; top with remaining olive mixture. Replace bread top. Wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into 8 wedges.