Vegetarian Artichoke Muffaletta Sandwich

Concept: a vegetarian muffaletta sandwich

Concept detailed: a big ole finger-lickin’ N’Orleans-style muffaletta sandwich starring a crispy-fried full-flavor artichoke “burger” base and some optional oozy melty cheese.

This is a big, strong sandwich and my “artichoke burger instead of meat” concept elicited some pretty strong reactions. Some folks were aghast that I would try to veg or veganize this classic sandwich, shaking their heads and warning not to mess with success. Well, I’m a messer. More forward-thinking folks thought it sounds gosh darn yummy. Others just got a kick out of the sandwich nickname “muff.”
Well, tradition be darned, you gotta get your inspiration from somewhere and I was in the mood for a giant sandwich. My version is a little heavier on the veggies than a traditional muff, but I’m all about sneaking some veggie goodness in whenever I can and I’m not apologizing.

By the way, it turned out terrific. It’s also perfect for a picnic.

Serves: Generous 4
Time: 50 minutes, or you can let the olive salad marinate overnight to make it even better

Olive Salad

16 oz jar green olives
8.5 oz jar black olives
5 stalks of celery
4 carrots
1 green pepper
2 Tbl capers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
3 Tbl olive oil

Get a big bowl ready. Drain the olives well and chop. Slice the celery lengthwise into thirds or quarters and then chop into small dice. Peel the carrots and slice into very thin half moons. Dice the green peppers. Add all the veggies and olives to the bowl. Add the capers, garlic, oregano and olive oil and mix well. Put the olive salad in the fridge until you’re ready for it.

Artichoke Patties

2 8.5oz cans artichokes (not marinated)
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 eggs or egg substitute
1 cup breadcrumbs
oil to fry

Squeeze the artichokes to drain them and chop them well. Add the finely chopped onion, breadcrumb and eggs. Mix together to make a “dough.” Shape the mixture into about 10 patties.

Heat the oil in a skillet and fry over medium heat until browned on both sides, 4-6 minutes a side.

To Serve

2 10″ round foccacia loves, halved lengthwise
sliced provolone or swiss cheese, optional

Preheat the oven to 350.
To assemble the muffs, place half the artichoke patties in a single layer on the bottom layer of one loaf of bread. Top with lots of the olive salad and 2 or more layers of the cheese. Repeat with the other sandwich. Bake in the oven until heated through and the cheese is melty, about 10 minutes.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 18th, 2006 at 8:01 pm and is filed under Sandwiches, Summer, Any Season. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.