Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwich

1 loaf rustic Italian bread, such as ciabatta
11/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup black-olive tapenade, store-bought or homemade
7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and blotted dry
6 ounces goat cheese
8 ounces jarred marinated artichokes, drained well
4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
4 ounces hard salami, thinly sliced
21/4 cups loosely packed mixed fresh herbs, such as basil, cilantro or parsley

In a medium bowl, combine the mustard and vinegar. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Whisk in 2 tablespoons warm water. Whisk in pepper to taste and set the vinaigrette aside.

Slice the loaf of bread lengthwise and make a hollow by removing some of the inside bread; reserve for another use or discard. Spread the olive paste on the bottom crust and add the red pepper strips. Crumble the goat cheese on top of peppers. Arrange artichokes over goat cheese. Drizzle half of the vinaigrette on top. Arrange prosciutto and salami over artichokes. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Scatter herbs over meats. Place the top crust on sandwich.

Wrap the sandwich tightly with plastic wrap. Set a weight such as a phone book or large cast-iron skillet on top for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, slice sandwich into 10 pieces.

Note: This sandwich can be made a day ahead of time if you add the vinaigrette no more than 1 hour before you pack the sandwich.

Source: Janet K. Keeler, Times food editor.