Panzanella with Baby Heirloom Tomatoes and Capers
Panzanella is a salad starring crusty or day-old bread and tomatoes. It used to be known as a poor man’s dish, but now it’s a trendy delight. Adding capers or kalamata olives adds just the right burst of flavor to these classically combined ingredients. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf crusty bread cut into 1-inch cubes, such as an Italian bread or Ducks and Dragons gluten-free bread
- 1/4 cup Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- About 2 heaping cups locally-grown baby heirloom tomatoes halved or quartered, depending on size
- 1 cucumber halved, seeded and cut into wedges (peeling the cucumber is optional)
- 1/2 red onion sliced into strips
- 2 Tbsp. capers drained, or chopped kalamata olives
- About 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil plus whole leaves, for garnish
- 1/4 cup crumbled Feta or freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for topping
Instructions
- Panzanella requires stale bread. To get the right texture, either cut the cubes and leave them out overnight to become stale, or toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toast at 275°F for about 20 minutes or until lightly toasted. Allow to cool before using in the salad.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine the bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and capers. Pour a bit more than half of the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to combine. Add more dressing if desired, but don’t not enough to make the bread too soggy right away. Add the basil and cheese, gently toss to coat.
- Finish the dish with bit more salt and pepper, to taste, and garnish with whole basil leaves and a sprinkling of cheese. Serve immediately, adding more vinaigrette as desired.
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