Zinc Cafe mixed vegetable sandwich
Times Test Kitchen Director Donna Deane discovered this terrific vegetable sandwich at Zinc Cafe & Market in Laguna Beach. “I loved it for its freshness,” she says. “The flavor is very light, but it’s substantial.” Spread with aioli and tapenade, rustic bread is layered with vegetables, a sliced hard-boiled egg, arugula and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s perfect for lunch after a farmers market morning.*
Tapenade
Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until mixture reaches a consistency of minced olives. Makes 1 3/4 cups.
Aioli
Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add basil and pulse until finely chopped. Add parsley, salt, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and the egg, then pulse until combined.
Slowly pour the olive oil through the feeding tube while the processor is running, allowing the mixture to combine and create an emulsion. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
Sandwich and assembly
Slice the bread horizontally and lay the halves on a cutting board. Spread the tapenade on one half and the aioli on the other.
Thinly slice the hard-cooked eggs and make one layer of eggs on the bottom side of the bread; sprinkle lightly with salt. Layer the vegetables, salting to taste. End with arugula. Drizzle with oil and vinegar. Add the top half of the bread, press gently and cut into four sandwiches.
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