This farmers market inspired Italian Steak Sandwich is slathered in a rich & flavor packed roasted vegetable tapenade & topped with fresh basil leaves...
As you all may recall from the recipe I shared for my Summer Harvest Potato Salad last month, I am on a mission this outdoor farmers market season to show you all how you can create a delicious recipe purchasing only locally grown & raised produce and meats at your local farmers market this summer. Each month I will be sharing a recipe here to the blog inspired by and featuring some of my own personal favorite fresh & local finds from my local market.
For the month of August, I am sharing the recipe for these super flavorful Italian Steak Sandwiches with Roasted Vegetable Tapenade with you all. This sandwich is inspired by a traditional steak sandwich that is a local favorite in the area of West Virginia that I live in. We actually call our steak sandwiches hoagies here, & they are piled high with sliced beef & then topped with peppers in sauce & lots of mozzarella cheese.
Instead of peppers in sauce, this steak sandwich is slathered in a rich & flavor packed roasted vegetable tapenade made from fresh vegetables & garlic that I picked up from the market. Oven roasting the veggies really brings out their natural sweetness as they caramelize & gives them a deep flavor.
To make this sandwich even more farmers market fresh, I swapped out the usual cheese for some fresh basil leaves. But you could totally add your favorite cheese to this sandwich as well.
The tasty roasted vegetable tapenade is a delicious way to use up those end of summer garden fresh & farmers market veggies. Feel free to add in or swap out any of the vegetables in this tapenade. The recipe itself is pretty versatile. If you prefer a little heat, trade out 1 or 2 of the sweet peppers for a couple of hot peppers instead.
And be sure to save any leftover tapenade! It can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It is excellent spread on your favorite crusty bread or as a dip for tortilla or pita chips.
Italian Steak Sandwiches with Roasted Vegetable Tapenade
by
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 1 small summer squash, chopped
- 3 small red & orange sweet peppers
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes (half the larger ones, smaller ones can stay whole)
- 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp (divided) of good quality olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (I like to use Rao's Homemade Organic Red Wine Vinegar)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 lb of thinly sliced hoagie beef
- 1 loaf of Italian bread, cut into 4 piece & then sliced horizontally
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the chopped zucchini & summer squash, chopped peppers, garlic cloves, & cherry tomatoes with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Turn the vegetables onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the veggies for 25-30 minutes until they are somewhat caramelized & dark golden in color, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool to warm.
Transfer the roasted veggies to a large food processor. Pour in the 1/4 cup olive oil. Pulse to chop until smooth, yet slightly chunky. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the hoagie meat in batches, cooking 2-3 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the slices. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate once cooked through.
Pile 1/4 lb. of the hoagie meat onto each bottom slice of the Italian loaf. Top with 4-5 large fresh basil leaves. Spread 3-4 tbsp of the tapenade onto each top slice of the Italian loaf. Place the top slice with the tapenade on top of the slice with the beef & basil leaves.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Powered by Recipage
If you loved this recipe, then you might also like my...
Want to see exclusive sneak peeks of new recipes coming to the blog soon? Be sure to follow me on Instagram! :)
