Muffaletta Olive Salad

Ingredients:

OLIVE SALAD

(To be made the day before)

3 large cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives

1 cup pitted and chopped "black-ripe" olives or Calamatas

1/2 cup roasted sweet red peppers cut into chunks

1 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

FOR THE SANDWICH

1 large, round, freshly baked Italian bread loaf (a loaf with a "holey" texture is great, because you can melt the cheese into it)

1/3 pound salami, sliced thin (Genoa or Italian-wine cured)

1/2 pound provolone, sliced thin

1/2 pound mild cheese (such as Havarti), sliced (or you can substitute cheddar)

1/3 pound mortadella or prosciutto or coppa or ham, sliced thin

Directions:

SALAD:

Mix all the ingredients for the salad and let stand overnight. Need not be refrigerated for the first night.

TO ASSEMBLE THE SANDWICH:

Cut the bread in half horizontally, as you would for a sandwich. Scoop out some of the center of the loaf and drizzle olie oil from the salad on both halves of the bread. Use plenty! On the bottom half, place the salami, olive salad, provolone, mild cheese and mortadella. Top with the other half of the loaf. Slice into wedges.

This is a very good recipe. I make a sandwich similar to this and melt the cheese into the bread under the broiler (after spreading some of the salad on the bread first). I don't think this is Italian, though. Muffaletta comes from New Orleans. You can also find pre-made salad in some specialty stores. We have a store in Washington State called Trader Joes, and they carry one (as well as the roasted sweet red peppers).