TRADITIONAL PAN BAGNAT The best tuna fish sandwich imaginable! (From the Dean & Deluca Cookbook by David Rosengarten)

2 4 inch rounds of crusty bread
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
3 large, ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced
24 fresh basil leaves
8 fresh mint leaves
6 ounce can tuna packed in oil
1 scallion, minced
2 teaspoons capers packed in brine, drained
12 Nicoise olives, pitted
6 anchovy fillets packed in olive oil (optional)
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
5 whole basil leaves

Cut the bread in half and remove the soft center. Cut the garlic clove in half and rub it on each half. Drizzle the bottom half of the bread with about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover bottom of bread with tomato slices, drizzle more olive oil, top with 12 basil leaves and the mint leaves.

In a bowl put the tuna, scallion, capers, nicoise olives, and stir them all together. Place a portion of this mixture on the basil and mint leaves. Top it with the anchovy fillets, if desired, the hard boiled egg slices, a layer of sliced tomatoes, and the basil leaves. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Place other half of the bread on top.

Wrap the sandwiches in foil. Let them stand at room temperature for at least one hour so that the dressing may saturate the bread.