Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

First cut: March 8, 2004

1 loaf of good quality flat Italian peasant-style bread (don't be cheap here)

1 eggplant (the big Italian kind, not the skinny Asian kind)
1 portobello mushroom
1 tomato
1 red pepper
2/3 of a medium yellow onion
1 cucumber

Marinade

Olive oil - a fair amount
Balsamic vinegar - less than 1/4 of the volume of the oil
Oregano - maybe a teaspoon
Red pepper flakes - maybe 1/2 teaspoon
Cayenne pepper - dash

Vegetable Prep

Slice the eggplant 3/8" thick leaving the skin on. Lay out the slices on a
cookie sheet and salt liberally. Then turn them all over and salt the other
side liberally. Let them sit for half an hour then rinse well and drain them.

While the eggplant is under the salt, roast and peel the red pepper and the
tomato. Slice them into long strips, removing seeds, juice, and "pith". 
Slice the portobello mushroom into 3/4" thick pieces. Cut the onion so as to
make big individual strips, like pieces of an onion ring. Lay all into a
big bowl and brush with the marinade - don't be cheap with it either. The
vegetables need to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Vegetable Grilling

Preheat the gas grill on high for 5 minutes or enough to get it hot, and
lay on the eggplant slices. Turn them after 7 minutes then remove them 
after another 5 minutes. Immediately put on the marinated vegetables. Those
only need 5-6 minutes total on the grill, and should still be slightly
crunchy but warm. While the eggplant slices are grilling, peel the cucumber,
slice it in half the long way, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then cut
into long strips. Slice the bread into large pieces and toast, then spread
with guacamole. About the time the vegetables are done grilling, the bread
will be done too. Lay on the vegetables and serve with the remaining
marinade on the side. C'est bon!

Guacamole

4-6 small-medium ripe avocados
La Victoria hot red salsa
1/3 of a medium onion, diced small
some ground cumin seed

To skin/pit the avocados, I used Anne's method (my sister Anne was a pro chef
and can work much faster than mere mortals): if the stem end is the north
pole, cut longitudinally all around the avocado (like the lines running
vertically on the globe) then twist the halves to separate them. One half
will contain the pit - deftly stick the edge of your knife into the pit and
pop it out. Grab a spoon and quickly scoop out slices. Repeat for all the
avocados, putting the flesh into a medium bowl. Add diced onion and cumin
and salsa to taste, and mix with a potato masher.

Next time:

  Use a gold pepper instead of red - the tomato already provides a red veg.
  Cut the onion like thick rings that can't fall through cracks in grill.
  Skip guacamole and instead slice provolone on open-face, melt in oven.
  Add some capers to the marinade.