Name: French Summer Sandwiches with Roasted Tomatoes and Olive Tapenade
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 4 plum tomatoes , cored and cut in half lengthwise; 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 basil; 4 ounces goat cheese , softened; 1 (24-inch) baguette , cut crosswise into 4 equal lengths and sliced in half lengthwise

Why This Recipe Works

To make an interesting summer vegetable sandwich, we put a twist on the ubiquitous combination of pesto, tomato, and mozzarella. We kept the focus on fresh summer vegetables by pairing tender mesclun with tomatoes and basil. While the tomato 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 tomatoes. Finally, we tossed the mesclun and basil 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 tomatoes 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 tomatoes 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 basil 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, tomatoes, and mesclun mixture. Press gently on sandwiches to set. Serve.