Summer

End of Summer Panzanella

October 16, 2014
5
1 Ratings
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

A delicious bread and tomato recipe that does not suffer from a slight overload of ingredients. —julia sherman

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Salad Base
  • 1 cup wild purslane, snipped into florets and small pieces
  • 1 - 2 cups picked herbs: parsley, mint, basil
  • 3 cups arugula
  • 1 - 2 scallions, sliced on the diagonal
  • 1 red onion
  • 4 - 6 cups cherry tomatoes or several heirloom / beefsteak tomatoes
  • 1 / 2 loaf of stale pain de campagne or any rustic country loaf
  • red wine vinegar
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Additions
  • 1 zephyr squash
  • 1 cocozelle zucchini, cut into 1/2" pieces
  • 1 diva cucumber, cut into 1/2" pieces
  • 1 gypsy pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
Directions
  1. Cut a red onion in half, then slice perpendicularly. Generously salt the pieces and toss with red wine vinegar. Set aside to allow the onions to tenderize and lightly pickle.
  2. Slice tomatoes and put into a bowl. Don’t lose all the juices that accumulate on the cutting board! Salt and pepper the tomatoes and toss with olive oil. The cherry tomatoes we grow at Scribe have a lot of ripe sweetness, so they require a rather aggressive seasoning. Taste and adjust as needed. Set aside.
  3. Cut or tear the bread into cubes or pieces. Depending on the degree of staleness, the type of bread, and your personal preference, you may want to dry toast them in an oven. As the tomato and onion juices soak the bread, it is nice to retain some crispness in the texture.
  4. While the onions and tomatoes are marinating (and perhaps your bread is toasting), cut up vegetables, herbs, and scallions.
  5. Coat the bread with the tomatoes and the onions, allowing all the juices to mingle thoroughly.
  6. When you are ready to eat, fold in the other vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add a squeeze of lemon for brightness. Add the greens and herbs – then toss and serve.

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