These marinated vegetable salad submarine sandwiches, great any time of the year, are a delightful way to tailgate in your own living room during this annual winter television event. Make the marinated vegetable mixture the day before and assembly during the game is quick and easy.

Recipe from The Onion Book, by Jan Roberts-Dominguez

2 red bell peppers
2 Oso Sweet or other sweet onions
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
2/3 cup sliced black pitted olives
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
8 (9-inch) submarine sandwich rolls
Lettuce
12 slices provolone cheese
1-1/2 pounds sliced deli meats (the combination is up to you)

Wash the peppers and prick them in several places with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet and roast under the broiler, turning occasionally, until the skin is black and blistered on all sides, about 6 minutes (alternatively, you can roast the peppers over a grill or a gas burner on top of the stove). Let the peppers cool thoroughly for easy handling, then simply peel off the charred skin. Cut off the stem end and remove the seeds and membranes. Thinly slice the peppers and cut the slices crosswise into halves.

Peel and slice the sweet onions into rings; cut the large rings in half. Wipe, trim, and thinly slice the mushrooms. Halve the zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise, then thinly slice to measure 1 cup each.

Place all of the prepared vegetables and sliced olives in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, and seasonings, and pour the mixture over the vegetables. Seal up the bag, tossing gently to thoroughly coat the veggies. Refrigerate the mixture for several hours, up to 24 hours. Every now and then, turn the bag so the veggies will remain coated with the marinade.

At serving time, slice the rolls in half lengthwise, leaving one side still attached. Place the rolls on a baking sheet and broil until lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Line the bottom of each roll with some lettuce. Cut the cheese slices in half. On the upper half of each roll, overlap 4 half slices of cheese, then arrange the deli meats on top of the
cheese. Top with a generous serving of the marinated vegetable mixture. Bring the top and bottom portions together and cut subs in half, if desired, and serve at once.

Yield: 8 sandwiches.