A fresh panzanella salad that highlights the end of summer harvest . . .
for the salad:
5-10 ripe tomatoes, chopped
15 basil leaves, hand-torn
1 clove of garlic, minced
coarse sea salt
cracked black pepper
olive oil
2 c. semi-stale bread, hand-torn
for the dressing:
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
a dash of sea salt
In a saute pan, brown the hand-torn chunks of bread in olive oil. You want the bread to look like little rustic croutons. As the bread gets crispy, season to taste with salt/pepper and remove from heat. Let the bread cool.
Mix the tomatoes, garlic and basil in a big bowl. Season with salt/pepper and set aside. To prepare the salad dressing, whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until completely combined. Pour dressing on top of tomatoes, garlic and basil. Lightly toss to make sure everything is coated.
Add half of the bread to the large bowl, lightly tossing to marry all the flavors. Let the salad sit for 15-20 minutes at room temperature. This will give the bread time to soak up some of the flavor.
To serve, stir in remaining half of the bread and sprinkle with additional basil as a garnish.
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