The Ideal Picnic Sandwich

This is great for picnics, can be made 24 hours ahead, it's a presssed sandwich so no worries with "smooshed sandwiches" and it tastes great. I captured this recipe from a Martha Stewart TV episode.. Note: can be made one day ahead of time; instead of adding the vinaigrette in step three, add it just before you pack the sandwich, or one hour before serving.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 3  medium red bell peppers
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2  tablespoons warm water
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1  loaf  rustic  Italian bread, such as ciabatta
• 1⁄2 cup  black olive paste
• 8  ounces  fresh goat cheese
• 8  ounces  marinated artichoke hearts
• 6  ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 lb  peppered  salami, thinly sliced
• 2 1⁄4 cups  loosely packed mixed fresh herbs, such as basil, cilantro or 2 1⁄4 cups parsley

Directions

1. Heat a grill or grill pan to hot; or heat broiler. Cook peppers until completely charred, turning frequently so all sides cook evenly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Place peppers in a deep bowl, and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Set bowl aside until the skins loosen and the peppers are cool enough to handle. Using your hands, rub off the charred skin, rinsing your hands frequently under cold running water. Slice peppers in half, and remove the seeds and stems. Cut flesh into 1-inch-wide strips.
2. Make the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, combine mustard and vinegar. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Whisk in 2 tablespoons warm water. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste, and set the vinaigrette aside.
3. Slice loaf of bread horizontally, and remove soft crumb; reserve crumb for another use. Spread olive paste* on the bottom crust, and add the pepper strips. Crumble goat cheese on top of peppers. Arrange artichoke hearts over goat cheese. Drizzle half of the reserved vinaigrette on top. Arrange prosciutto and salami over artichoke hearts. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Scatter herbs over meats. Place the top crust on sandwich.
4. Wrap the sandwich tightly with plastic wrap. Set a weight, such as a brick or large cast-iron skillet on top for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, slice sandwich into ten pieces.
5. * Note: Tapanade is a great subsitute for black olive paste.