Sopressata and Provolone Italian Pressed Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 loaf of ciabatta bread
1/4 lb very thinly sliced good-quality sopressata (hot or sweet depending on your taste)
1/3-1/2 lb sliced provolone cheese
8 oz roasted tomatoes, purchased (or use this recipe, minus the thyme)
About 3 tbsp pesto, purchased (or use this recipe, or your own)
1 large bunch, or 2 small bunches of basil, leaves torn from the stems

Slice the ciabatta loaf horizontally to make two large halves. On the top half, evenly spread the pesto in a very thin layer (don’t over saturate the bread). On the bottom half, first place the roasted tomatoes in a single layer, then top with a layer of sopressata. (Place the thin slices of meat on top of each other to form a thicker layer.)

Top the sopressata with the sliced provolone, and then place a layer of basil leaves over the top of the cheese. Place the top slice of bread over the basil layer, and press down to bring all the layers flat.

Continue pressing down, and wrap the entire loaf tightly in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped loaf in the fridge overnight (or for at least 3 hours), and put something heavy on top of the loaf to compress it. I used a cast iron skillet and placed a couple of soup cans on top of the skillet.

POM Berry Spritzers

Ingredients:

16 oz POM wonderful, or 100% pomegranate juice
16-18 oz sparking mineral water (I used lime flavored)
1/2 cup berry simple syrup: (3/4 cup blueberries, 1 1/4 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water)
Ice

First make berry simple syrup. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and stir over high heat until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is boiling. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Remove syrup from heat, strain to remove solids (save for a later use, if desired), and cool before using.

Berry Syrup
To make spritzers, add ice (about 3/4 cup) to a medium tumbler; add 8 ounces of POM or pomegranate juice, about 2 tablespoons berry simple syrup, and about 4 ounces of sparkling mineral water. Stir to mix and drink cold.