As soon as the first green orb sets on our tomato plants, I get hungry for panzanella salad, the classic Italian dish that teams vine-ripened tomatoes with bite-sized chunks of artisanal bread, red onions and cucumbers. Fresh basil, salt and pepper generally join the party and a vinaigrette often chimes in with its appealing mix of bright vinegar and fruity olive oil.
For luscious results, sturdy artisanal-style bread is a necessity. The late food writer and expert on Italian cooking Marcella Hazen described the bread as “not supermarket white, but gutsy country bread.” I generally use La Brea Bakery’s Country White Sourdough or Tuscan Loaves that are available at many supermarkets; they are sold unsliced and have a stand-up texture that works beautifully in panzanella.
Many traditional Tuscan recipes call for soaking bread slices in water, squeezing to exact the water, and then tearing them into pieces before adding to the mix. But over the years, home cooks and chefs have shifted gears, either tossing the bread pieces with vinaigrette or coating them with olive oil and then toasting them to make croutons.
To serve the salad in a portable appetizer-style, I use tongs to load it into glasses and provide guests with salad forks. I think it looks best in glasses that are colored, or at least have a swirl of hue on them. Otherwise, the glassware looks a little smudgy.
Another tactic is to riff on the salad by using toasted slices of baguette as the base for a breadless mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and vinaigrette. It’s a second way to turn the salad into a passed portable dish. But because it is a two-bite wonder, either napkins or small plates are helpful to catch any stray bits that may tumble.
Yet another approach is to substitute strips of roasted bell peppers for tomatoes — yellow or orange beauties. It’s a delicious variation that brings in two Panzanella strangers — fresh mozzarella and salami. Panzanella? Well, maybe a very distant cousin.
Panzanella
Chef Joyce Goldstein, a two-time James Beard Award winner, was the chef-owner of the influential restaurant Square One in San Francisco, open from 1984 to 1996. Her first cookbook, “The Mediterranean Kitchen”, was published in 1989 and offers the blueprint for this scrumptious Panzanella, a concoction that she explains as “how to make a satisfying meal out of almost nothing.”
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Vinaigrette:
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad:
4 cups 1-inch country-style bread cubes; see cook’s notes
2 cups diced (1/2-inch) tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups diced (1/2-inch) English (hothouse) cucumbers
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup thin crosswise strips of fresh basil
Garnish: Additional thin crosswise strips of fresh basil
Cook’s notes: Use sturdy artisanal style Italian or French bread trimmed of hard crusts. Avoid supermarket soft white bread because it will completely dissolve in salad. I use La Brea Bakery’s Country White Sourdough or Tuscan bread that is sold unsliced in many supermarkets.
PROCEDURE
1. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients; set aside.
2. In large bowl, toss bread with 1/2 cup stirred vinaigrette and set aside for 25 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and drizzle with 1/2 cup stirred vinaigrette. Toss and taste, adding additional vinaigrette if needed.
Source: Adapted from “The Mediterranean Kitchen” by Joyce Goldstein (William Morrow, out of print)
Roasted Pepper Panzanella
One twist on Panzanella is to substitute roasted bell peppers for tomatoes. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)
Panzanella without tomatoes? Roasted bell peppers take their place in this irresistible salad. You can use red, yellow or orange bell peppers, or a combination. I like to roast, peel and seed the peppers in advance and store them in the fridge. There are several ways to roast bell peppers, but I prefer the roast-them-under-the-broiler method. Note that the bread used for the croutons is torn into bite-sized pieces, creating irregular surfaces to capture the crunch.
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
4 large red or orange or yellow bell peppers
4 thick slices sturdy country bread, such as La Brea Bakery’s country white sourdough bread
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup, divided use
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves, divided
2 ounces thinly sliced salami, such as soppressata, coarsely chopped
4 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces
PROCEDURE
1. To roast peppers: Place in single layer on rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place 6- to 8-inches below heated broiler element. Broil about 5 minutes or until blackened in spots. Using tongs, give each pepper a quarter turn and repeat process of broiling until blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Repeat 2 more times to darken all 4 sides. Remove from oven and draw up sides of aluminum foil using potholders, to enclose peppers for about 5 minutes — this will soften flesh and make skin easy to peel off. Open foil and allow peppers to cool enough to handle. Peel peppers and remove seeds.
2. For the croutons: Turn oven to 400 degrees. Tear bread (with crust) into jagged bite-sized pieces. Place bread in bowl and toss with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper; toss. Place in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, checking every 3 to 4 minutes, tossing them occasionally. Don’t let them get rock hard; leave a little bit of chew in the center. Total baking time varies depending on the type and density of bread you are using, but more than likely it will be about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Tear each pepper into 4 lengthwise quarters (this may have already happened when seeded). Cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips. Place in large bowl. Add onion, garlic, vinegar, chili flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, several twists of black pepper, oregano, parsley. Coarsely chop half of the mint and add to bowl. Toss. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and toss again.
4. Add salami and croutons; toss again. Let salad rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Place on platter and distribute mozzarella. Tear remaining mint leaves in halves or thirds and sprinkle on top of salad. Serve at room temperature.
Source: Adapted from “Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables” by Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg (Artisan, $35)
Panzanella ‘Bruschetta-Style’
Another variation on Panzanella is to make it “Bruschetta-Style,” with chunks of heirloom tomatoes, seedless cucumber, onion and basil leaves topping a toasted slice of baguette. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
3 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 3/8- to 1/2-inch dice, or 2 cups cherry tomatoes cut in halves if tiny or quarters in larger cherry tomatoes
1/2 medium English (hothouse) seedless cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch dice; see cook’s notes
1/4 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
Sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 baguette, cut into 8 to 10 (1/2-inch-thick) slices on the diagonal
Garnish: 8 to 10 small basil leaves
Cook’s notes: English or hothouse cucumbers are the long variety that is sold enclosed in plastic wrap; they are practically seedless. I like to “zebra” the cucumber before dicing — that means to peel lengthwise with a swivel bladed peeler, leaving strips of untouched peel in place between each peeled strip.
PROCEDURE
1. In a medium bowl, toss tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, chopped basil, red wine vinegar and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper; let stand 30 minutes.
2. Tilt bowl and collect about 1 1/2 tablespoons liquid from the tomato mixture; place it in a small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon oil. Lightly brush both sides of bread with mixture and place in single layer on rimmed baking sheet.
3. Adjust oven rack to about 10 inches below broiler element. Broil bread until lightly browned, turning to brown both sides. Turn oven light on and watch carefully to prevent burning.
4. Using a slotted spoon, spoon tomato mixture on top of each toasted bread slice. Garnish with basil.
Have a cooking question? Contact Cathy Thomas at cathythomascooks@gmail.com
Related Articles
Recipe: Vignole is a ‘classic Roman springtime dish’
Recipes: Cherry season is almost here; make these 3 delicious desserts
Recipe: Enliven almost any dish with ‘homemade’ garlic aioli
Recipes: Get ready to grill like a pro on Memorial Day weekend
Recipes: These snacks will make you feel like you’re nibbling in a Parisian bistro
#RestaurantsFoodAndDrink #Recipes #ThingsToDo
