Provençal Sandwiches with Grilled Vegetables

I know there's a lot of steps to this recipe, but it actually is really fast. Total time is about 35 minutes. This is a great meal to try if you have a lot of veggies in your house and don't know what to do with them. The bread is very important, too. We used rosemary bread from Costco that we cut into thick slices. Olive or country bread work well too. My husband made this meal for us last night and it was incredible!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 red bell pepper or use half a 12-ounce jar of roasted bell peppers instead of roasting and peeling your own.
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 plum tomatoes
• 1 small bulb fennel, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick
• 4 slices Italian or country bread, 1/2 inch thick
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons store-bought pesto

1. Set your grill to medium-high for indirect grilling.
2. Rub the pepper with 1/2 tablespoon of the oil. Place the pepper on the grill, turning occasionally, until the skin blackens and blisters, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Using a paring knife, remove the core from the top of each tomato and make a shallow X in the bottom. Place foil over the grill and add the tomatoes. Grill until they become soft, about 15 minutes.
4. Place the zucchini and fennel on the grill and brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Sprinkle with salt. Grill until tender, about 5 minutes per side for the zucchini and 10 minutes per side for the fennel.
5. Once all your veggies are nice and grilled, set aside and let cool.
6. Transfer the red bell pepper to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and seeds from the pepper and discard. Cut the pepper lengthwise into 8 slices; set aside.
7. Remove the skins from the tomatoes and cut them about 1/8 inch thick. Set aside.
8. Remove the tough cores from the fennels and set aside.
9. To assemble: Place the bread on a work surface. Brush each side with the remaining olive oil. Layer the veggies in the following order onto each slice: sliced fennel, tomato, zucchini, and red bell pepper. Cut 1/4" slices of goat cheese and top each sandwich with a few slices.
10. Place each open faced sandwich on the grill and grill until the bread is golden brown and the goat cheese browns a little, 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle each sandwich with the pesto.