Pink of Perfection

There’s a spot in the Poconos that I think I would rate as one of my top five places on earth. Ferns cover the forest floor. The ceiling fans whir powerfully on hot days. There is a library stocked with Julia Child cookbooks and mysteries, a cool lake beckons for afternoon dips, and a million and one stars come out at night. On walks in the woods there, I always seem to have my favorite kind of conversations filled with big dreams and possibilities, birch trees and mushrooms bearing witness to grand plans.

But what do you do when you’re responsible for dinner on the first night of a weekend away, and plan to carry a picnic across state lines? Why, you bring a sandwich that gets better with sitting! And what do you do if you’re feeding vegans and omnivores alike? Well, you get creative!

The classic pan bagnat, in some ways like a niçoise salad tucked inside bread, has canned tuna or hard-cooked eggs. With vegans present, I made two versions: one with tuna, and one with mashed chickpeas. The entire sandwich is brushed or drizzled with a garlicky vinaigrette, and then tightly wrapped, placed in your picnic basked and smooshed down with something heavy like a couple bottles of wine. With deviled eggs, baby carrots, a mess of cherries and root beer floats for dessert, you might call this a perfect summer meal.

Pan Bagnat, Tuna and Vegan Versions

You can really stuff your sandwich with whatever you like, including any pleasing combination of South of France-ish things. Mine included: roasted red peppers, basil, sliced cucumbers, pepperoncini, capers, sliced shallots, and niçoise olives inside focaccia or a baguette halved lengthwise. For the vegan version, I mashed a can of chickpeas with a bit of olive oil and piled that on the bread. The omnivores got drained Italian tuna packed in olive oil. Spoon a garlicky red vinaigrette over the filling and brush on the inside of the sandwich top. Wrap in plastic and weigh down with other picnic items or a cast iron pan if you’re eating at home. Let sit in the fridge or picnic basket for at least an hour. The bread will soak up the vinaigrette and the flavors of the sandwich will dance and mingle. Slice and serve.

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