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1
Chop up olives, giardiniera, pepperoncinis, capers, peppers and garlic very finely.
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2
A food processor would probably be helpful to ensure a minced texture, though be careful to not puree the mixture; you don't want a paste.
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3
If you do use a food processor, make sure to do the garlic separately to ensure that it is thoroughly and very finely minced - large pieces of raw garlic aren't very palatable.
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4
Add in oregano (or a pinch of Italian seasoning mix), lemon zest and juice.
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5
Mix thoroughly.
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6
Taste the mix, and add pepper if needed.
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7
At this point, you can also play with the amount of other ingredients to suit your preferences.
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8
I sometimes like a few extra green olives; my partner likes the sweetness added by the roasted peppers better.
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9
Now the hard part: cover and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors marry.
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10
Or not -- I find it hard to plan my cravings ahead, and it's a tasty mix even the first day, though it does get better as it sits.
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11
For a Muffaleta Sandwich: Cut a loaf of Italian (or French) crusty bread in half horizontally and remove some of the soft inside to make room for the fillings.
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12
Slather the olive salad on both sides of the bread, maybe with a quick drizzle of a good finishing olive oil, if you like.
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13
Layer on: thinly sliced salami, provolone cheese, ham, and mozzarella cheese -- Though it's not traditional, turkey or chicken are also delicious on the sandwich.
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14
(During my vegetarian years, I also liked to just use the cheeses, thinly sliced onion, tomato, avocado and sprouts.)
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15
Put the top on the sandwich and wrap the whole thing up tightly in saran wrap or butcher's paper.
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16
Try to let the sandwich sit for an hour or so in the fridge to let the olive salad soak into the bread.
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17
Cut the sandwich into pieces and serve; enjoy!
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18
A few other ideas for using Muffaleta Style Olive Salad: Butterfly chicken breasts and use the olive salad and a slice of provolone cheese as a filling.
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19
Toss hot pasta with some of the salad, feta cheese and baby spinach.
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20
Make crostini (small slices of toasted baguette) topped with the olive salad, a bit of basil and a slice of salami for an appetizer.
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21
Mix the salad with light cream cheese and use as a sandwich/bagel spread.
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22
Put a dollop of the salad on top of a bowl of tomato-veggie soup before serving.
