Finger Food

For this year's block party, I veered from my usual chicken wings and made these little sandwiches. They're an old favorite and came out delicious as usual. You could create endless variations by substituting pesto, sundried tomatoes, other meats and cheeses, etc. It's terrific for a party because it actually improves if you make it ahead of time. I'm kicking myself for forgetting to take a photo, because they come out great-looking! I doubled the recipe and got about 48 pieces (the recipe below is not the doubled version).

Antipasto-Stuffed Baguettes

2 small thin baguettes (each about 16x2x1"—mine were a little wider than that)
about 1/4 cup bottled olive paste or tapenade (I used a little more than that.)
4 oz mild goat cheese (Get the spreadable kind rather than the crumbly kind.)
1/4 lb thinly sliced Genoa salami
2 cups packed arugula leaves, washed well and spun dry (I used considerably less than that.)
a 7-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed, patted dry, and sliced
a 14-oz can whole artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped

Cut off ends of baguettes and divide in halves or thirds crosswise. (I think this makes it much easier to do the next step.) Cut top third off each baguette horizontally with a serrated knife and remove soft crumb from tops and bottoms, leaving shells about 1/2" thick.

Spread about 1 tablespoon olive paste or tapenade on inside of each bottom shell and top with goat cheese, spreading it evenly. Fold salami slices in half and fit them in an even layer over cheese in each shell. Arrange half of arugula on each salami layer and top with a layer of roasted peppers. Divide artichoke hearts between bottom shells and spread inside of top shells with remaining olive paste.

Fit top shells over bottom shells and press baguette together, re-forming loaves. Wrap each baguette tightly in foil and chill at least 3 hours or overnight.

Cut each baguette diagonally into 12 slices with a serrated knife and secure each slice with a frilly wooden pick.

Comments

[Beth Garvin]

Can I just say that Karen's sandwiches were the only (THE ONLY) food I
ate at the block party. I have a bit of a food phobia, which stems
from too many unhygenic hotdishes--think meat, cream of mushroom soup
and chinese noodles--at too many Midwestern pot-luck dinners. And don't
get me started on the jello salads garnished with pastel
mini-marshallows.

[Insert witty food cheer here.]