Cobb Muffaletta Sandwich

Oh my word, this sandwich is something to be proud of. As is my tendency, I have adapted this sandwich from a recipe published by Cuisine at Home magazine. It is so very good. It holds well, making it perfect for a picnic and it is really hearty with three different kinds of protein, so it's a really good sandwich to feed a hungry crowd, or just a hungry you!

For those of you afraid of Blue cheese, you can also use Feta if it appeals to you more.

I am a stickler for quality ingredients. It makes such a difference in the food we prepare. There is nothing I hate more than putting time and effort into a dish or a meal, only to find that the meat is tough or tasteless and the produce is lackluster. Over the years, I've learned that buying the freshest, highest quality ingredients that my wallet will allow, make such a difference. That being said, I will tell you that the two most important ingredients to splurge on in this dish are the fresh herbs and the bread. The original recipe called for Focaccia bread and while it's my favorite way to eat this sandwich, I've also made it with a sheepherders and sourdough bread. Just make sure your bread is hearty but not too dense.

The key to this sandwich is to think ahead. This is the order I do things:

Put turkey in the oven to roast Start the eggs boiling fry the bacon Cool the eggs in cold water Drain the bacon take the turkey out and rest it Toast the bread cut up the rest of the stuff Make the dressing Assemble the sandwich Try not to consume the whole sandwich by myself.

Ingredients:

Sandwich Components:

6 strips of bacon, cut into large pieces and fried like bacon bits 6 leaves of green leaf lettuce (or your favorite lettuce. This is also excellent with butter lettuce or arugula) 1 Avocado (pitted, peeled and sliced) 2 Tomatoes, sliced 2 Hard boiled eggs, sliced 1 Loaf of Focaccia (or alternate as noted above) bread

Turkey: 1 Turkey Tenderloin (approx 1.5 lbs of meat) 1 Tbs fresh, finely chopped thyme 1 Tbs, fresh Rosemary 1 Tbs fresh, finely chopped Parsley 1 Tbs fresh, finely chopped dill (this one is optional, but I like it) 2 tsp crushed garlic 1 tsp lemon zest 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Pepper 1 Tbs Olive Oil

Dressing: 1/3 cup Olive oil 1/2 cup Blue cheese crumbles 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar 1 Tbs Dijon Mustard Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400*.

Chop and mix together all of your fresh herbs and Olive oil to make a paste of sorts. Place the turkey tenderloin on a parchment covered baking dish or cookie sheet (with a lip, there will be juices). Coat the turkey tenderloin liberally with the herb/oil mixture.

Place in the 400* oven and roast for approximately 20 minutes. This will vary depending on the size of your tenderloin/s. Sometimes the only ones I can find are very small, forcing me to make two or three. If this is the case, the cooking time might be slightly less.

Once the meat is cooked, remove from the oven and let cool while you work on the rest of the sandwich.

Cut the loaf of bread in half (but keep it in loaf form) and brush the cut side with olive oil. Place them cut side up in the oven for 10 minutes. The goal is to toast the bread slightly, but not to brown it. Remove the bread and let it cool while you make the dressing.

In a bowl, place the dressing ingredients and whisk thoroughly. I like to smash up the blue cheese a bit so that it's not in big chunks and combines well with the dressing ingredients.

Once your bread is cooled, take your dressing and brush it over the entire surface of the bread. You want the dressing to soak into the bread, but not make it soggy. Toasting the bread first is key to making this happen.

Slice the cooled turkey into thin slices and lay out evenly over the loaf of bread.

Follow with the rest of the components. This is the order I do it, but it's really not that imperative:

Turkey, Egg, Avocado, Bacon, Tomato, Lettuce

Place the top of the loaf and press the whole thing together rather firmly without totally crushing it. Cut into pieces and serve. Depending on the size loaf of bread you get, this should serve 6 people.

I have made this with sliced bread as well, but make extra sure that your bread is hearty if you choose to do it this way, otherwise the bread will crumble under the pressure (both literally and figuratively)

EnJoy!