Muffuletta Sandwich

I culled this recipe from a Mardi Gras website. The olive salad gives this sandwich its authentic taste. I made this as part of a Mardi Gras lunch at work and even folks who do not like olives enjoyed it. The mixture of pickled cauliflower, carrots, celery, and pepperoncini is called gardeniera and can be found in the relish/pickle section of your grocery. Also, I omitted the salt. Cooking time for this one is really refrigeration time for the compiled sandwich. I let the olive salad flavors meld for 1 week. It was worth it!

• Ready In: 4 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 4-8

Ingredients

• 1  loaf  muffuletta bread (round 10 inch loaf) or 1  loaf  sesame topped  Italian bread (round 10 inch loaf)
• 1⁄4 lb mortadella, thin sliced
• 1⁄4 lb  cappicola ham, thin sliced
• 1⁄4 lb  hard  genoa salami, thin sliced
• 1⁄4 lb provolone cheese, thin sliced
• 1⁄4 lb  null or 1⁄4 lb  emmenthaler cheese, thin sliced

• olive salad (use 1 cup for sandwich)

• 1 1⁄2 cups green olives, Pitted
• 1⁄2 cup kalamata olives or 1⁄2 cup black olives, pitted
• 1  cup  pickled vegetables
• 1  tablespoon capers
•  fresh garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1⁄8 cup celery, thinly sliced
• 1  tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 2  teaspoons dried oregano
• 1  teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3  tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup  roasted red pepper
• 1  tablespoon green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 1⁄2 cups extra virgin olive oil
•  kosher salt, to taste, salt may not be necessary (optional)
•  fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. To Make the SANDWICH.
2. Split a muffoletta loaf or a round loaf of Italian bread horizontally. Remove some of the center soft bread.
3. Spread each half with equal parts of olive salad/oil.
4. Place meats and cheeses evenly on bottom half and cover with top half of bread.
5. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Cut in quarters for huge sandwiches, or eighths for more manageable sections.
6. To Make the OLIVE SALAD.
7. To pit the olives crush each olive on a cutting board with your hand or use the end of a funnel.
8. Combine all ingredients except oil in processor. Pulse 4-5 times. You want this to be coarse chopped.
9. Add olive oil. Put into a bowl or jar, cover and let the flavors marry for about one week.