Serves 6-8
This is a great sandwich for a picnic! Cut the cooked sandwich and wrap in foil to keep it warm, while you head to the park, lake or beach. Adding artichokes and/or capers to your olive salad is a delicious variation. You can also change up the meats using ham, pepperoni or turkey – it won’t be traditional, but it will still be tasty! Toma and TomaProvence are both excellent subs if you don’t have TomaRashi on hand.
Olive Salad:
1 cup drained mixed pitted olives, chopped
½ cup drained giardiniera, chopped
½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Grilled Cheese:
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 focaccia loaf, sliced horizontally and cut in half
8 oz Point Reyes TomaRashi, shredded (about 2 cups)
8 oz. sliced soppressata
8 oz. sliced prosciutto
8 oz. sliced mortadella
Make the olive salad:
In a small bowl, combine olives, giardiniera, red peppers, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Stir to combine and set aside.
Make the Grilled Cheese:
Spread butter on the outside of the top and bottom sections of focaccia then place buttered-side down on work surface (each half will become one large sandwich).
Assemble each sandwich in this order: ½ of the olive salad, ¼ of shredded TomaRashi (about ½ cup), ½ of the soppressata, prosciutto and mortadella, then ¼ more shredded TomaRashi (about ½ cup). Top with focaccia lid, buttered-side up. Repeat this process with the remaining half of focaccia.
Preheat a cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium-low heat.
Add one sandwich and cook on one side for 4-6 minutes, using a smaller skillet to firmly press it down periodically. Flip and continue cooking 4-6 more minutes, or until cheese has melted and sandwich is golden brown. Remove from pan and cook the remaining sandwich. (You can hold the first sandwich in a warm oven to keep it hot while you make the second one.)
Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.
