Recipe: Muffuletta Made Easy (food processor)

MUFFULETTA MADE EASY

FOR THE OLIVE SALAD:
2 cloves garlic
1 (16 ounce) jar Italian mix giardiniera, drained (pickled Italian vegetables)
1 (12 ounce jar) mixed olive bruschetta topping* (we used Trader Joe's brand)
FOR THE SANDWICH:
1 (1 pound) round loaf bread (boule)
1 1/2 cups olive salad
4 ounces thinly sliced ham
4 ounces thinly sliced hard salami
4 ounces thinly sliced sopressata
4 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese
5 large curly lettuce leaves

TO MAKE OLIVE SALAD (makes 3 cups):
With the motor running, drop the garlic cloves into the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Turn the processor off and add the pickled vegetables. Pulse several times until the vegetables are evenly chopped. Stir in the olive bruschetta topping, cover and refrigerate until needed..

TO MAKE SANDWICH:
If the bread loaf is more than 3 to 4 inches tall, cut a 1-inch slab out of the middle (horizontally). (The slab can be frozen for making croutons.) Carefully pull the bread out of the bottom of the loaf, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the sides and bottom. Spread the olive salad over the bottom. Layer the ham, salami, sopressata, provolone and lettuce over the olive salad and cover with the top portion of bread. Cut into 4 wedges and serve.

*Note that bruschetta toppings vary widely, so be sure you get one in which olives are one of the first ingredients listed on the label.

RECIPE NOTES:
A muffuletta is a sandwich with real personality and character. A native of New Orleans, it's a sassy combination of chopped green olives, pimentos, capers and other vegetables piled high on a crusty roll with smooth provolone cheese and lettuce. But a muffuletta is also more work than your average hero, what with all that chopping of vegetables. So we turned to one of our favorite prepared products -- bruschetta topping -- as a shortcut and then threw it in a food processor with some mixed pickled vegetables. In no time we were stacking our sammy high with this "olive salad," cold cuts and lettuce for a truly satisfying and refreshing meal.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Katherine Miller, The Oregonian, July 22, 2008