Makes two 6-inch sandwiches — adapted from Epicurious
These sandwiches travel well, taste delicious, and can be made several hours ahead. You assemble them and then pack them in the bottom of the cooler so that the weight of the other contents compresses the sandwiches and allows the juices to soak into the bread. Eating at home? Simply press the sandwiches under a cast iron skillet weighted down with cans of food or a tea kettle of water.
Look for marinated artichoke hearts that list oil before water in the ingredients.
Ingredients
1 (6½-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
1 (4½-ounce to 6-ounce) can tuna in olive oil, undrained (or 1 can chunk light tuna in water, drained and mixed with 1 Tablespoon olive oil)
2 teaspoons organic lemon zest
2 Tablespoons organic lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 slender 12 to 14-inch (10 ounce) baguette, cut in half and then sliced lengthwise
About 12 large fresh basil leaves
Directions
1. Pour the artichoke heart marinade into a medium bowl, then coarsely chop the artichoke hearts and add them to the bowl.
2. Stir in the tuna, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste.
3. Remove some of the interior crumb from the two top halves of the baguette, then spoon any excess juice from the tuna mixture evenly over them.
4. Spread the bottom half of each sandwich with the tuna mixture, then scatter the basil leaves over it (I like a lot of basil on mine). Place the tops on each sandwich.
5. Wrap the sandwiches tightly in waxed paper, then in aluminum foil.
6. Place the sandwiches at the bottom of your picnic cooler so the weight of the other contents compress the sandwich and allows the juices to soak into the bread.
Alternatively, place the sandwiches on the counter (unless you have a lot of empty space in your refrigerator) and set a cast iron skillet on top of it. For added weight, put a tea kettle full of water in the skillet. Press the sandwiches for about 30 minutes.
These sandwiches can be chilled for several hours before serving (I even like them the next day, when the lemon flavor is more pronounced), but you probably don't want to keep them at the bottom of the cooler for more than an hour or so.
Recipe source: FarmgirlFare.com
