London, April 19th 2011.- Tired of shop bought sandwiches? Looking for inspiration? British Sandwich Week (9th – 15th May) gives us the perfect opportunity to experiment with flavours and get creative with this legendary lunchtime favourite.  

Sandwiches are available in many different forms (toasted, club, triple deckers) with an endless choice of fillings, from classics - cheese and pickle, tuna mayonnaise - to the less familiar; Hummus, avocado, crayfish etc.  This British Sandwich Week, brighten up your lunch and indulge in a Mediterranean inspired sandwich that’s full of flavour and guaranteed to taste delicious.

Unlike the Brits, Mediterraneans tend to enjoy the content of the sandwich rather than the bread.  They focus on the ingredients and combine fantastic flavours to create a satisfying lunch.  And, there’s one ingredient that they always include – extra virgin olive oil.  Just a light drizzle of Europe’s ‘liquid gold’ can transform any sandwich into something quite special.  

The Interprofessional Olive Oil from Spain, the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM) and the European Commission have devised the following recipes to demonstrate just how delicious lunch can be. So make the most of British Sandwich Week and enjoy these Mediterranean ‘topless’ sandwiches.

Fig Confit, Walnuts & Gouda

Serves: 4 (two slices each)

Ingredients for 4 people:

8 slices of crusty bread

120 g Gouda cheese

50 g walnuts

Extra virgin olive oil

For the fig confit:

1 kg ripe figs

500 g sugar

100 ml water

Juice of one lemon

½ tsp cinnamon

1 clove

Handful of fresh parsley

Method:

•  Wash and quarter the figs. Place them in a bowl with the lemon juice and set aside.

•  Boil the 100ml of water in a pan with the sugar.  When the sugar has completely dissolved, add the figs and boil over a low heat, stirring from time to time, for 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside until it cools and sets.

•  Toast the bread and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on each slice.  Cut the cheese into 8 slices and place one on each slice of toast.  Add a spoonful of fig confit and decorate with a walnut and a few fresh parsley leaves.

Tomato Confit, Goat Cheese & Peppers On Toast

Serves: 4 (two slices each)

Ingredients:

1 baguette

1 pack of goat cheese

1 green pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the tomato confit:

1 kg ripe tomatoes

500g sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Method:

•  To make the tomato confit, boil the water and blanch the tomatoes for a few seconds.  Peel them, remove the seeds and quarter.  Add the sugar and the lemon juice and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

•  After marinating, simmer on a low heat for about one hour, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.  Take off the heat and set aside.

•  Cut the pepper into thin strips.  Place in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt, and sauté on a medium heat until softened.

•  Slice the bread, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper, and place under the grill until toasted, turning once.  (Keep an eye on them as they will cook quickly.)  Cut the cheese into slices.

•  Spread the tomato confit on the toast, place the cheese on top and then the cooked pepper.  Place in the oven for a few minutes and serve warm.

For further information, please contact Chrissy Dorner at Food Matters.  Tel: 0207 371 6466 or Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Interprofessional Olive Oil from Spain, the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM) and the European Commission have launched a major campaign, with an investment of 16.5 million euros, to increase sales and consumption of Olive Oil in Europe.  The campaign will continue to run until October 2012, in France, the UK, Belgium, Holland and Spain.