Sunday Paper Dinner Table: Vegetable Panini

The Sunday Paper Dinner Table: At The Sunday Paper, we believe in the power of meaningful conversations around the table as a foundation in building a more caring, kinder and compassionate world. We want to inspire you and encourage you to gather virtually at your tables, open your hearts, and open your minds each and every week with the help of our Meaningful Conversation Starter and suggested recipe. Then report back to us and tell us about the experience. Cheers!

Meaningful Conversation Starter

Who is one of your dream dinner guests? If you could invite them to dine with you, what would you love to talk about?

Vegetable Panini
Serves 4

I love this sandwich for the way the melted mozzarella oozes over the warm vegetables, and you get a good crunch of the bread when you take your first bite. If you don’t have a panini press and you’re using a grill pan, make sure you use a spat- ula to press down on the sandwich heavily and often throughout the process.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tomatoes, each cut horizontally into four 1⁄2-inch-thick slices
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1⁄8-inch-thick planks
• 1 yellow summer squash, sliced lengthwise into 1⁄8-inch-thick planks
• 1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1⁄8-inch-thick planks
• 4 sandwich rolls (8 inches long)
• 1⁄2-pound ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 equal slices

Special equipment: Panini press or grill pan Wire rack

Directions:

IN A LARGE SAUTÉ PAN, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Season the tomato slices with salt and white pepper. Sauté the tomato slices for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft, then transfer to a plate to cool.

Preheat a panini press (or a grill pan) to medium-high heat, making sure the cooking surface is very clean. Lightly season the zucchini, summer squash, and eggplant with salt and white pepper. Working in batches, grill the slices about 1 minute per side, transferring the cooked vegetables to a wire rack to cool.

Slice open the sandwich rolls and fill each with a layer of tomato, zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, and 2 slices of mozzarella. Close the sandwiches.

Cooking two at a time, place the sandwiches in the panini press and press the sandwiches for about 2 minutes per side (or cook on a grill pan, pressing down hard with a spatula). Keep warm and repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Slice in half and serve hot.

From Vegetable Simple by Eric Ripert. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.