Name: French Summer Sandwiches with Zucchini and Olive Tapenade
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: FrenchEurope
Ingredients: 2 zucchini , cut in half crosswise, then sliced lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick planks; 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Salt and pepper; 10 pitted green olives; 1 tablespoon minced shallot; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 small garlic clove , minced; 1 teaspoon capers , drained; 1 1/2 ounces (1½ cups) mesclun; 1/3 cup minced fresh mint; 4 ounces goat cheese , softened; 1 (24-inch) baguette , cut crosswise into 4 equal lengths and sliced in half lengthwise

Why This Recipe Works

For a delicious summer vegetable sandwich, we kept the focus on fresh summer vegetables by pairing tender mesclun with zucchini and mint. We tried simply adding the zucchini to the sandwich without cooking it, but no matter how thinly we shaved it, it tasted raw, so we roasted it to get it softened and nicely caramelized. While the zucchini roasted, we made the fastest-ever olive tapenade by pulsing fruity green olives, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, and capers in the food processor. We spread some rich, creamy goat cheese over a baguette, drizzled it with our superflavorful tapenade, and layered in the roasted zucchini. Finally, we tossed the mesclun and mint with oil and lemon juice and topped our sandwich. The end result was a nuanced but simple summer vegetable sandwich.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss zucchini with 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, then spread in single layer on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until zucchini are spotty brown on both sides, about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through baking.

Meanwhile, pulse olives, 2 tablespoons oil, shallot, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, garlic, and capers in food processor until mixture forms slightly chunky paste, about 10 pulses (do not overprocess). Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice together in medium bowl. Add mesclun and mint and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread goat cheese evenly over cut sides of each baguette. Assemble 4 sandwiches by layering ingredients as follows between prepared baguettes: olive tapenade, zucchini, and mesclun mixture. Press gently on sandwiches to set. Serve.