CHOPPED ANTIPASTO STUFFED BREAD

Chopped Antipasto Stuffed Bread image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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1 baguette, semolina round loaf, or other crusty bread
3/4 pound mixed assorted Italian ham and salami (choose from Genoa salami, capocollo spicy ham, prosciutto, prosciutto cotto, sweet or hot sopressata, mortadella, hard salami, pepperoni, abruzzese salami, calabrese salami)
1/3 pound Italian table cheeses (choose from Provolone, Pecorino, Asiago, Fontina, Scamorza, or mozzarella)
1 cup giardiniera (Italian jarred hot pickled vegetables), drained
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
A handful of olives, pitted and chopped
1 celery rib with the greens, chopped
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce hearts
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) (eyeball it)
Coarse black pepper
Shredded or torn fresh basil, if you have it, or a few spoonfuls of prepared pesto will do

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Crisp the bread in the low oven and cool. Split and hollow out the bread.
Chop and add the meats, cutting them into bite-size pieces or strips and place in a large bowl. Dice or slice the cheeses and add to the meats. Finely chop the pickled vegetables and add to the bowl. Add the parsley, olives, celery, and lettuce to your antipasto salad and dress with the lemon juice, EVOO, and pepper.
Fill the bottom of the bread with salad, mounding and packing it in there with a rubber spatula to help. Top with the basil leaves or spread the top with a layer of pesto, and set the top into place, pressing down on the stuffed bread. Cut a baguette into 4 pieces across, or cut a round loaf into 4 wedges. Wrap the ends of the sandwiches with wax paper or paper towels to control drips. How wide can you open your mouth?