GRILLED VEGETABLE SANDWICH W PESTO MAYONNAISE

GRILLED VEGETABLE SANDWICH W PESTO MAYONNAISE image

Yield 8 Sandwiches

Number Of Ingredients 19

4 courgettes, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch strips
4 yellow squash, sliced in rounds
4 red onions, sliced in round 1/2 inch strips
4 Red pepper, in half
4 aubergines, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch strips
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 Fresh basil leaves
2 Italian bread loafs
Mozzarella (sliced thin)
To make mayo:
3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise
8oz pesto
To make pesto:
1 large bunch of basil, leaves only, washed and dried
3 medium cloves of garlic
one small handful of raw pine nuts (0r roasted)
roughly 3/4 cup Parmesan, loosely packed and FRESHLY GRATED
A few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

To make the sandwich: Prepare grill. Lightly brush vegetables with oil and grill on an oiled rack set about 4 inches over glowing coals about 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Cut peppers into strips. Lightly brush cut sides of bread with oil and grill, about 2 minutes, or until golden. Spread each piece of bread with 4 tablespoons pesto mayo and divide peppers, eggplants, and mozzarella between them. Grill sandwiches, covered, just until cheese is melted. (Alternatively, vegetables and assembled sandwiches may be broiled.) Sprinkle each sandwich with basil and cut in half. To make the pesto: chopping all the ingredients by hand and not blending them is key because this prevents the ingredients from becoming a completely homogenized emulsion or paste. Pesto keeps, covered and chilled, up to 1 week. Makes about 2/3 cup.