During the summer, if it’s Friday night, you will most likely find us at Zoo Music people watching and picnicking with our friends, Ryan and Rochelle. For us, Zoo Music is a tradition that dates back all the way to summer of 2008 and has become an anticipated weekly event. So every Friday we load up the car with chairs, trek to the zoo and find ourselves a patch of grass near the amphitheater.
I especially enjoy this ritual because it affords the opportunity to pack a picnic lunch for us and our friends to enjoy. I try to keep it simple, no one enjoys lugging heavy coolers, but interesting and satisfying. In my experience I have determined that sandwiches are perfect picnic fare– simple, interesting and satisfying all wrapped up between two pieces of bread. These roast beef sandwiches are based on my favorite sandwich that is served at Relish, which is, by far, our city’s best sandwich shop.
Roast Beef Sandwiches
Slice a loaf of french bread into two peices. I chose french bread not only because it’s good, but it also holds up well and doesn’t get soggy sitting in a cooler.
First, layer the bottom slice with simple salad greens lightly coated with this really good dressing that my husband makes. Dan has been making this particular dressing for a few years and it works really well with this sandwich. I like to think it’s his “super-secret” dressing recipe, but it turns out that it’s on the back of a Good Seasons Italian dressing packet. You might want to make this a few hours before so that the flavors have time to incorporate.
Dan’s Dressing
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 packet Good Seasons Italian Dressing Seasoning
Combine the first three ingredients really well.
Whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil and continuing whisking until combined.
This will make a lot of dressing, but it can be stored in the fridge for up to four weeks.
Next layer approximately 1 pound of thinly sliced roast beef on top of the greens
Thinly slice about 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella and layer it over the roast beef.
Add about a handful of fresh basil leaves.
Top the basil with one whole tomato, thinly sliced.
Season with a couple pinches each of salt and pepper.
Lightly drizzle with the dressing.
Top with the other slice of bread and slice, on the diagonal, into eight sandwiches.
Wrap the sandwiches in saran wrap, tote them along to wherever you are going,
unwrap and enjoy!
What a great looking sandwich! I’ve been making my own “secret recipe” with GS mix for years. I use a half cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice and a half cup of canola oil and everybody in my family thinks it is great. It is rather Middle Eastern tasting. This idea with balsamic is terrific. Your recipe makes me wish I had the fixins’ to make this for breakfast (I could turn on the music and pretend I was at the zoo).