Chargrilled zucchini and pepita pesto sandwich with feta, tomato and pickled red onion

By: Michael James, Pippa James
From: The Tivoli Road Baker
Makes: 6 sandwiches
Photographer: Bonnie Savage and Alan Benson

This sandwich has been a sneaky hit and is certainly not ‘just another vegetarian sandwich’. The combination of so many different seeds in the pesto provides beautiful richness, and the pickle lightens it all up, creating perfect balance.

This pesto is so tasty and versatile, you’ll want to put it on everything! Feel free to make a larger batch – it will last up to a week in the fridge. If storing larger batches, cover the surface with a thin layer of oil to prevent discolouration.

We love making pickles at the bakery, and the pickled onions in this sandwich make everything taste better. They are great to have on hand in the fridge, and work well in salads or even grilled cheese on toast.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient

Pepita pesto

Quantity	Ingredient
100g	pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
40g	sunflower seeds
20g	poppy seeds
25g	parmesan, finely grated
1 clove	garlic, peeled and finely chopped
40g	pitted kalamata olives
1/2	lemon, juiced
65ml	olive oil
	salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pickled onions

Quantity	Ingredient
1	red onion, peeled and finely sliced
100ml	red-wine vinegar
45g	caster (superfine) sugar
1 clove	garlic
10g	table salt
1/2 teaspoon	black peppercorns

Chargrilled zucchini

Quantity	Ingredient
6	medium zucchini (courgettes)
40ml	olive oil
	salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Assembly

Quantity	Ingredient
12 slices	sourdough or olive bread
3	tomatoes, sliced
240g	feta
1	oak leaf lettuce, leaves washed and separated

Method

To make the pesto, blitz the pepitas, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, parmesan, garlic, olives and lemon juice in a food processor. Blitz until the seeds break down, but stop before it becomes a paste. Reduce the speed to low and slowly pour in the oil until the mixture becomes a thick, spreadable paste.
To prepare the onion for pickling, blanch it in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain well and transfer to a heatproof container.
Combine the vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt and peppercorns in a pan over a high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then pour it over the onion while still hot, and leave to cool. This is a quick pickle that will be ready to use once cool, but it will also keep well in the fridge for up to a week.
To chargrill the zucchini, preheat a large griddle pan over a high heat. Cut the zucchini in half lengthways, then cut each half into two pieces so you have two shorter pieces, each with a flat side and a round side. Toss the zucchini in a bowl with the oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the zucchini cut side down on to the hot griddle pan for 2 minutes, then turn over and cook on the rounded side for 1 minute. You want them to be lightly marked and just cooked.
To assemble your sandwiches, lay out your slices of bread and spread a generous layer of pepita pesto onto one half of each sandwich. Arrange the zucchini, tomato and pickled onion over the pesto. Crumble the feta over it, then finish with a few leaves of lettuce. Top with the other slice of bread and eat!