Over the years, I've seen recipes for Panzanella, but I couldn't quite figure out the flavor and whether it would really work. Then we had some in a restaurant topped with grilled wild salmon. (Find out about sustainable seafood here. ) Delicious! So I went on a hunt for a similar recipe. It is especially good in warm weather, either alone or topped with some protein. Start this one several hours before your meal so the ingredients can soak in the dressing. To get even more veggies, layer this on a bed of salad greens of your choice. Add in your favorite salad goodies or omit something if you don't have it.
4 cups sourdough bread,
lightly toasted
*
1 medium cucumber, peeled,
seeded and chopped#
2 medium-sized tomatoes, seeded and chopped#
1 small sweet pepper (any
color), seeded, deribbed and chopped
1 medium-sized red onion,
finely sliced
1 cup pitted Kalamata
olives (or your favorite olives), chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
basil, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 hard-cooked eggs, cut
into wedges for garnish, optional**
2 tablespoons Parmesan
cheese
Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine
vinegar
1 medium garlic clove,
finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons capers
Optional: piece of grilled fish
Optional: piece of grilled fish
Make the dressing by
beating together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Mash the
drained capers; add to the oil/vinegar mixture.
Put dressing in a large
bowl, then add the cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, onion, olives, parsley, and
basil. Toss gently, cover, and refrigerate for several hours.
About 30 minutes before
serving, add bread cubes and toss again.
Garnish with hard-cooked
egg wedges, if using. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and sprinkle with
the Parmesan cheese.
*Preheat oven to 350 or dry in a skillet on the stove if you don't want to heat up the kitchen. Trim bread of tough bottom and end
crusts. Cut loaf into ½-3/4” cubes. Spread on ungreased baking sheet and toast
for 8-12 minutes, moving them around with a spatula so they dry evenly. (This step can also be done with 3-4 tablespoons of melted butter or olive oil tossed with the bread cubes. It should not toast, just dry out and get crunchy. Remove from oven and cool. Store in an airtight container if made before hand.
**If using other protein such as grilled meat or fish, skip the eggs.
Note: # In this recipe, it is important to seed the cucumbers and
tomatoes before adding to the dressing, as you
want this salad to be as dry as possible. The dressing -- rather than any
liquid from the vegetables -- should provide the moisture.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/panzanella-and-tuscan-bread-recipe
** with adaptations from KAF book, and other recipes.
Seafood watch: Seafood Watch consumer-guides
Seafood watch: Seafood Watch consumer-guides
