Recipe - Pan Bagna - Jacques Pepin

One half Cucumber
1 Round countrystyle loaf
18 Oilcured olives; pitted,
chopped
3 Cloves garlic; minced
10 small Anchovies; coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon Olive oil
5 sl Red onion; very thin
1/3 Green bell pepper; thinly
cut or sliced up
1 Ripe tomato; thinly cut or sliced up
One fourth teaspoon Salt
One fourth teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
12 lg Basil leaves

1. Peel the cucumber, and slice it lengthwise with a vegetable peeler into
long, thin strips, discarding the seedy center.

2.Cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally.

3. In a bowl, mix together the olives, garlic, anchovies (with their oil),
and the olive oil. Spread the mixture on the cut surface of both bread
halves, and then arrange the slices of onion, green pepper, and tomato on
the bottom half of the loaf. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and arrange the
basil leaves and then the cucumber slices on top.

4. Invert the top half of the bread to reform the loaf, and wrap it tightly
in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 to3 hours with a 5pound weight on top
(canned goods or a milk carton). This enables the juices in the filling to
flow through the bread.

5. At serving time, unwrap the loaf, and cut into wedges to serve.

NOTE: "This light, healthy picnic sandwich is especially good when made
ahead preferable the day before on a large round bread loaf."

Recipe by: Jacques Pepin's Table

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #1018 by KSBAUM KSBAUM@aol.com on Jan 16,
1998