Oil flavored with sun-dried tomatoes and lots and lots of fresh herbs is the secret to these vegetarian sandwiches; I use it both as a marinade for the grilled veggies and also to moisten the bread. Creamy goat cheese smoothes out the sharp flavor of the tomatoes. This is perfect picnic food, whether you’re packing the sandwiches for the beach or as a reward after a long hike.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

　　1/3 cup olive oil

　　2 garlic cloves, minced

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　2 zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick

　　2 Japanese eggplants, ends trimmed, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick

　　1 (12 1/2-ounce) baguette, sliced in half lengthwise

　　1 cup (8 ounces) goat cheese, at room temperature

　　1 1/2 cups (2 ounces) baby spinach

　　

Step 1

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

　　

Step 2

Finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic, basil, tarragon, thyme, salt, and pepper.

　　

Step 3

Spoon 2 tablespoons of the tomato mixture into a medium bowl. Add the zucchini and eggplant to the bowl and toss until coated. Grill the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until tender.

　　

Step 4

While the vegetables are cooking, spread the remaining tomato mixture on the baguette halves. Using a spatula, spread the goat cheese on top. Layer the grilled vegetables on the bottom half of the baguette. Arrange the spinach over the vegetables. Place the top half of the baguette on top of the filling.

　　

Step 5

To serve, cut the baguette into 4 sandwiches. Serve immediately or wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

　　Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2010 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.