Trivia Night Sandwiches

I've finally figured out the rate-limiting step in my blog posting frequency. It is not the usual hub-hub of work, social events, errands, chores and the stress of knitting palm-sized sweaters. It is the fact that lately, I've been forgetting to photograph my meals for posterity! And without a picture, I can't seem to start a post.

Well, last evening I did remember to make a lunge for the camera as sandwich-making was in progress, and after a brief lull on this space, here I am with a sandwich that is as simple as it is tasty.

We played trivia last night at a fundraiser for a good cause, and I furnished the sandwiches to keep us going through many rounds involving the usual motley crew of TV characters and dead presidents. Summer vegetables are still going strong in local markets, so a roasted vegetable pesto sandwich seemed ideal- I could roast the vegetables the night before, buy fresh bread on the way home and assemble sandwiches at the last minute.

This was one of the vegetables that made it onto the baking sheet: an adorable squash that looks handpainted in two colors. Does anyone want to guess the name of this hybrid?


Roasting the vegetables: I used a large rimmed baking sheet, and covered it with uniformly sliced vegetables- 1 medium eggplant, 2 squashes, 1 large onion, 2 colorful peppers. Toss the vegetables with 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper, using your (clean!) hands to get the vegetables well-coated. Roast the veggies at 435 F for 30-40 minutes or until they are tender and slightly charred and smoky. Cool the sheet pan, then store the vegetables overnight in an air-tight container.

Assembling the sandwiches:


Put together-

• Good bread
• Pesto (home-made or store-bought)
• Roasted vegetables (straight from the fridge)
• Fresh mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh basil leaves (this came from the pot in my kitchen windowsill)
• Salt and pepper

With such simple ingredients, quality matters, so go for the best you can find. This sandwich can be embellished with a dressing of capers and balsamic vinegar, topped with fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, sprinkled with pepper flakes, but it is honestly delicious just as it is.

The best part- our team came in at first place (squee!) with this tie-breaker question-

In what year will NASA retire the Space Shuttle from service?

Do you know the answer (we're using the honor system here so no googling)? Luckily for our team, V did and we ended the night on a high note.

I promise to be back very soon. A lonely and quiet blog feels a bit sad, doesn't it? Have a lovely weekend, everyone!