Grilled Portobello Hero Loaf With Smoky Tomatoes

By kiwill

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil -- divided
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar -- divided
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably tamari
• 1 garlic clove -- peeled, and
• crushed through a press
• Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
• 4 medium portobello mushrooms - (1 1/4 lbs total) -- stemmed
• 5 large ripe plum tomatoes -- halved lengthwise,
• with interiors scooped out
• Salt -- to taste
• 2 cups wood chips, preferably hickory -- (optional)
• 1 baguette-type crusty bread
• = (abt 21" long and abt 3" wide)
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 16 arugula leaves

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

In a shallow, nonreactive dish, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and a generous grinding of pepper. Add mushroom caps, turning to coat well. Cover; marinate, basting occasionally, for 1 hour.

Drizzle tomatoes on both sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Preheat grill to medium-high. Distribute wood chips according to grill manufacturer's directions. Position grill rack about 6 inches above the heat.

Cook mushroom caps in covered grill until lightly marked, about 3 minutes. Baste with any unabsorbed marinade, turn caps, and grill another 2 to 3 minutes, or until well browned, tender and smoky. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut mushrooms in half.

Place tomatoes cut-sides down on rack; cover and grill until lightly marked, about 2 1/2 minutes. Turn, cover and grill until lightly browned and fairly tender, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a plate; let cool, cut-sides down.

With a serrated knife, cut loaf of bread in half horizontally. Brush cut sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toast bread on grill, cut-sides down, until lightly marked, about 1 minute.

Evenly spread cut side of the bottom half of loaf with cheese; season with salt and pepper. Arrange tomato halves over cheese. Arrange arugula leaves over tomatoes. Drizzle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Arrange mushroom pieces over arugula. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set top half of bread loaf in place; press gently.

With a serrated knife, cut loaf crosswise into 4 sandwiches. Serve within an hour or two.

This recipe yields 4 sandwiches.